Beating-heart Transplant (6/5/2006)
Doctors at Papwork Hospital in Cambridge, UK have completed the first beating-heart transplant. The transplant
was conducted 2 weeks ago, and the patient is in excellent condition.
The transplant recipient, a 58 year old man received his heart using a new surgical technique that involves
keeping the donated heart warm and beating during the procedure. The process allows doctors more time to get
the hearts to the recipient.
Under the existing surgical process the heart is injected with potassium to stop it from beating and is then
packed in ice. The problem is that there is only a four to six hour window for the organ to be transplanted before
the organ "dies" and is unusable.
The beating-heart transplant system works by connecting the heart to a machine which keeps it beating with
oxygenated blood flowing through it. This technique will also be useful in other transplanted organs, particularly
the liver.
Similar technology has been used when cloning organs, as they also need to be "feed" nutrients during the
growing phase. Several companies are working on this technology, who will patent it first?
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