Transplantation with Nonstandard Donor Hearts: Single Center Experience in Central China.

Background: Recently, marginal donor hearts have been applied to patients with end-stage heart failure due to rising waiting list mortality and increasing demand for donors. However, the principles of risk prevention and the usage of marginal donor hearts have yet to be clearly defined.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed to investigate the outcomes of patients undergoing heart transplantation at our center between October 2019 and March 2024. Forty-four patients were enrolled and divided into the marginal donor heart group (n = 30) and the conventional donor heart group (n = 14) according to the classification criteria. The clinical data between the 2 groups were compared and analyzed.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the postoperative length of hospitalization, ICU stay, left ventricular ejection fraction, or serum biochemical indicators between the 2 groups. Five patients died during the 3-month follow-up period. Notably, 1- and 3- month postoperative follow-up showed no significant differences in left ventricular ejection fraction, serum biochemical indicators, and mortality between the 2 groups CONCLUSION: The application of marginal donor hearts can partially alleviate the shortage of donor heart resources. It did not significantly affect patients' short-term survival or recovery.