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NCT Number: NCT05462041

DCD IIT: Evaluating the Safety of Utilizing Donor Hearts From Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD) Donors

The purpose the research is to evaluate whether patients who receive a Donation after Circulatory Death (DCD) heart for cardiac transplantation using either normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) or direct procurement and perfusion (DPP) have similar outcomes as patients who receive Donation after Brain Death (DBD) heart using standard cold storage. The study will also evaluate whether DCD procured hearts have a meaningful impact on hearts available for transplantation at our center.

Active, Not Recruiting

This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Conditions

Organ Transplant

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Cedars Sinai Medical Center

Los Angeles, California, 90048, United States

About this study

In the U.S., heart donation occurs after a person has been declared brain dead and is called a donor after brain death (DBD). In these patients, the heart continues to beat and pump blood throughout the body. After life support is withdrawn, organs are retrieved immediately for transplantation. This study will use hearts from donors after circulatory death (DCD) donors. DCD donors are those whose hearts have stopped beating and no longer pump blood. DCD hearts are not used as often for transplantation today in the U.S. because they may be further injured during traditional cold storage. In the US, donor hearts are currently mostly obtained from donors after brain death (DBD), although DCD donors are used for other donated organs, such as: lungs, kidneys, and livers.

This study will evaluate whether patients who receive a DCD heart transplant using either NRP or DPP have similar outcomes as patients who receive DBD hearts using standard cold storage. The study will also evaluate whether DCD procured hearts have a meaningful impact on hearts available for transplantation at our center. Ten (10) DCD donor heart recipients will be enrolled into the study intervention group, and approximately 30 DBD donor heart recipients will be enrolled into the control group.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Recipient Inclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects must be willing and be capable of understanding the purpose and risks of the study and must sign a statement of informed consent OR consent of a legally authorized representative of a cognitively impaired individual will be obtained before the cognitively impaired individual may be included in research.
  • Signed: 1) written informed consent document and 2) authorization to use and disclose protected health information
  • Male or female, aged 18 years of age or older listed for primary heart transplant

Recipient Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior history of cardiac transplantation
  • Multi-organ transplant
  • Current or planned participation in another interventional trial
  • Recipient has any condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, would make study participation unsafe or would interfere with the objectives of the study

Treatment and study plan

DBD Donor Heart Transplantation

Other

A technique of donor heart procurement.

DCD Donor Heart Transplantation

Device

A technique of donor heart procurement. The TransMedics' OCS Heart technology is the only portable system available for ex-vivo maintenance of the donor heart in a metabolically active and beating state. It is currently FDA approved for procurement and transport.

Primary outcomes

  1. The Primary Objective of This Proposed Research is to Evaluate the Safety of Utilizing DCD Donor Hearts as Compared to DBD Donor Hearts for Transplantation.

    Time frame: 30 days post-heart transplant

    The primary objective of this proposed research is to evaluate the safety of utilizing DCD donor hearts as compared to DBD donor hearts for transplantation HGRSAE (Heart Graft Related Serious Adverse Event) in the first 30 days post-transplan

  2. Primary Endpoints Comparing DBD vs. DCD-NRP vs. DCD-OCS (HGRSAE) in the First 30 Days Post-transplant

    Time frame: 30 days post transplant

    Primary endpoints comparing DBD vs. DCD-NRP vs. DCD-OCS

Secondary outcomes

  1. The Secondary Objective is to Assess the Practical, Financial and Logical Viability of Using NRP vs. DPP for the Procurement of DCD Donor Hearts

    Time frame: Time on waitlist

    The secondary objective is to assess the practical, financial and logical viability of using NRP vs. DPP for the procurement of DCD donor hearts in this study.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluating the Safety of Utilizing Donor Hearts From Donation After Circulatory Death (DCD) Donors Compared to Donor Hearts From Donation After Brain Death (DBD) Donors: A Single Center Pilot Study

Important dates

Study start
2022
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2026
First posted
Jul 18, 2022
Registry last updated
Jun 30, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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