Swiss Transplant Achievement: Heart Kept Alive for 12 Hours

Inselspital Bern sets European record in transplant medicine, maintaining heart viability outside body for unprecedented duration.

Key Takeaways

Swiss hospital Inselspital Bern set a European record by keeping a heart viable outside the body for 12 hours
Bad weather necessitated car transport instead of air transport for the heart
Ex vivo perfusion technology has reduced organ waiting time by one-third

By The Numbers

hours heart kept viable outside body

maximum hours previously possible with traditional cooling methods

increase in patients receiving organs

They Said

"The ability to keep a heart beating outside the body for a longer period of time without damage is an absolute game changer for Swiss transplant medicine"
— David Reineke, Head of Cardiac Surgery at Inselspital

Historic Achievement

Technical Innovation

Medical Impact

Future Implications

Sources & References

Swiss transplant doctors keep heart alive for record time

SWI swissinfo.ch

Key Takeaways

Swiss hospital Inselspital Bern set a European record by keeping a heart viable outside the body for 12 hours
Bad weather necessitated car transport instead of air transport for the heart
Ex vivo perfusion technology has reduced organ waiting time by one-third

By The Numbers

hours heart kept viable outside body

maximum hours previously possible with traditional cooling methods

increase in patients receiving organs

They Said

"The ability to keep a heart beating outside the body for a longer period of time without damage is an absolute game changer for Swiss transplant medicine"
— David Reineke, Head of Cardiac Surgery at Inselspital

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