Donor Heart Preservation is a critical component of cardiac transplantation, influencing graft viability, recipient survival, and long-term post-transplant outcomes. This session explores the physiological, logistical, and technological factors involved in maintaining myocardial integrity from procurement to implantation. As transplant specialists increasingly search for a focused cardiology conference, this session delivers a deep understanding of preservation strategies, organ transport systems, and metabolic optimization.

The description examines the fundamental challenges of ischemia–reperfusion injury, myocardial energy depletion, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and oxidative stress during heart transport. Participants will review traditional cold static storage using preservation solutions and explore advanced perfusion-based methods that maintain warm, oxygenated circulation.

A major emphasis is placed on implementing advanced donor heart preservation strategies, including ex vivo heart perfusion (EVHP), normothermic machine perfusion, hypothermic perfusion, optimized cardioplegia solutions, metabolic support agents, and strategies to extend permissible ischemia time. The content explains how these approaches improve donor organ evaluation, reduce discard rates, and enhance matching flexibility for transplant centers.

The session addresses donor selection, hemodynamic optimization before procurement, hormonal therapy, and strategies to manage extended-criteria donors. Participants will explore transport logistics, perfusion monitoring variables (flow, lactate, metabolic markers), and methods for assessing graft viability prior to transplantation.

The session concludes with major innovations: portable perfusion systems, biomarker-driven viability testing, gene-treated donor organs, xenotransplantation insights, and AI-assisted logistics planning. By the end, attendees will have expanded understanding of how modern preservation extends graft life and improves transplant success.