Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38688447›Full record

ArticleThe Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery2025

Can we safely expand the donation after circulatory death donor heart pool by extending the donor age limit?

Yeahwa Hong, Nicholas R Hess, Luke A Ziegler, Danny Chu, Pyongsoo D Yoon, Johannes O Bonatti, Derek R Serna-Gallegos, Ibrahim Sultan, David J Kaczorowski

Abstract read
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Article in The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yeahwa HongDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Nicholas R HessDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Luke A ZieglerDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Danny ChuDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Pyongsoo D YoonDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Johannes O BonattiDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Derek R Serna-GallegosDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Ibrahim SultanDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.
David J KaczorowskiDepartment of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. Electronic address: kaczorowskidj2@upmc.edu.

Funding

Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Training ProgramT32HL160526 · NHLBI · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI JAMES D LUKETICH, Julie A Phillippi · 2022 to 2026
$1.5M
NHLBI NIH HHS T32 HL160526
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study evaluates the impact of donor age on outcomes following donation after circulatory death heart transplantation.

methodsThe United Network for Organ Sharing registry was queried to analyze adult recipients who underwent isolated donation after circulatory heart transplantation from January 1, 2019, to September 30, 2023. The cohort was stratified into 2 groups according to donor age, where advanced donor age was defined as 40 years or more. Outcomes were 90-day and 1-year post-transplant survival. Propensity score matching was performed. Subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of recipient age on 90-day survival among the recipients with advanced-age donors.

resultsA total of 994 recipients were included in the study period, and 161 patients (17.1%) received allografts from advanced-age donors. During the study period, the annual incidence of donation after circulatory heart transplantation with advanced-age donors substantially increased. The recipients with advanced-age donors had similar 90-day and 1-year post-transplant survivals compared with the recipients with younger donors. The comparable 90-day survival persisted in a propensity score-matched comparison. In the subgroup analysis among the recipients with advanced-age donors, the recipients aged 60 years or more had significantly reduced 90-day survival compared with the recipients aged less than 60 years.

conclusionsThe use of appropriately selected donation after circulatory donors aged 40 years or more has similar survival compared with that of younger donors. With careful candidate risk stratification and selection, consideration of using donation after circulatory donors aged more than 40 years may further ameliorate ongoing organ shortage with comparable early post-transplant outcomes.

Indexed as

Donor SelectionHeart TransplantationTissue and Organ ProcurementTissue DonorsAdultAgedAge FactorsFemaleGraft SurvivalHumansMaleMiddle AgedPropensity ScoreRegistriesRetrospective StudiesRisk Assessmentadverse eventsdonation after circulatory deathdonor ageorthotopic heart transplantationsurvival

Identifiers

PMID38688447
PMCPMC11513402

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.