Heart donationÂ
Following in vivo baseline echocardiographic evaluation, a purse-string
suture was placed in the ascending aorta to allow placement of a
cardioplegia cannula. An 18F venous cannula was inserted into the
inferior vena cava (IVC) via the right atrium for collection of
approximately 1.5 L of whole blood into an auto-transfusion system
(Frensenius Kabi C.A.T.S., Terumo, USA) to isolate the red blood cells
(RBC). Simultaneously, the aorta was cross-clamped and donor hearts
arrested with 1L of histidine-ketoglutarate-tryptophan (HTK) solution at
4ÂșC. The donor heart was weighed, excised and placed in ice-cold HTK for
one hour while being cannulated for the ESHP circuit.