Revolution in medicine: Taiwanese surgeons transplant beating heart for the first time

Taiwan National University Hospital (NTUH) has performed the world’s first heart transplant in which the donor heart never stopped beating, not even for a second. This remarkable breakthrough was reported by Fox News.

Until now, heart transplants typically used the cold storage method. In this process, blood circulation in the organ is temporarily halted, and the heart muscle receives limited oxygen, increasing the risk of tissue damage and organ rejection.

However, Taiwanese surgeons have developed an innovative new system that completely eliminates these issues. Their technology functions as a portable life support device, continuously supplying the donor heart with oxygen-rich blood. The system keeps the heart in active condition outside the human body using pumps, oxygenators, and special reservoirs.

In the first such operation, the donor heart was transported between operating rooms while still beating, connected to the device. The recipient was a 49-year-old woman suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy. After surgery, she began recovering quickly, and her enzyme levels — the key indicator of heart health — were very low, proving the success of the operation.

Previously, in 2023, Stanford University in the U.S. performed a similar transplant, but in their method the heart entered ischemic state for a short time (10–30 minutes). In contrast, the Taiwanese method ensures the heart never stops.

“In our method, the heart kept beating not only after transplant but also before removal. It never stopped even for a second,” said NTUH organ transplant director Dr. Chen Yi-Shurng.

Experts say this is a real revolution in medicine, potentially greatly increasing the safety and effectiveness of heart transplants. The new technology has attracted significant interest worldwide and could save many more lives in organ transplant procedures.

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