US Heart Transplants Increased Using DCD Donors
Transplant centers across the country have successfully expanded the use of hearts donated after circulatory death.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Heart Disease
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Between 2019 and 2024, U.S. transplant centers expanded the use of hearts from donors after circulatory death (DCD), with the number of facilities performing the procedure rising from 22 to 67. The expansion helped accommodate 1,489 recipients during this period as centers worked to address persistent organ shortages.
Why it matters
The adoption of DCD heart transplantation serves to increase the available donor pool for patients awaiting life-saving procedures. This shift helps address a critical shortage of donor organs, potentially providing more options for those on the national transplant waiting list.
A registry analysis of 1,489 recipients found no significant differences in one-year mortality, retransplantation, or graft failure between the early (2019-2021) and late (2022-2024) eras. Exploratory two-year survival analysis likewise showed no significant disparity between the two study groups.
The players
United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)
The private, non-profit organization that manages the United States organ transplant system under federal contract.
Journal of Cardiac Failure
A peer-reviewed medical publication focused on clinical and basic research related to heart failure.
The details
The increase in DCD heart use was facilitated by advances in donor management and specialized ex vivo perfusion technologies that preserve the organ outside the body. Standardized procurement protocols and shared clinical expertise across centers allowed for the safe expansion of this procedure to more facilities. Despite treating a wider population that included recipients with higher rates of pretransplant pulmonary hypertension, clinics maintained stable patient outcomes.
Timeline
2019-2021: The early era of DCD heart transplantations.
2022-2024: The late era of DCD heart transplantations.
September 2026: Publication of study findings in the Journal of Cardiac Failure.
Health Landscape
The study utilized the United Network for Organ Sharing transplant registry to track nationwide trends in organ availability. This registry data demonstrates a significant shift in transplant practice by documenting the rapid adoption of DCD protocols across the national network.
If you or a family member are currently on a heart transplant waiting list, this expansion of donor options may impact the availability of organs in your region. It is worth discussing with your cardiologist or transplant team how these evolving procurement protocols might affect the timing or options for your specific care plan.
The takeaway
The successful expansion of DCD heart transplants highlights how new perfusion technology and standardized protocols can safely grow the organ donor pool. Patients should remain in close contact with their transplant center to understand how local and national procedural updates may influence their individual transplant journey.
Further reading
For more information on innovations in cardiovascular care, visit Heart Disease.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tctmd.
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Do you trust the ethical standards currently used in the U.S. organ transplant system?
