Loyola Medicine Performs Illinois' First Heart Transplant with New Transportation Technology

MAYWOOD, IL – Loyola Medicine has completed Illinois' first heart transplant using a newly developed cardiac transport system. The Paragonix SherpaPak® System aims to change the way hearts are transported during transplant, utilizing a canister that monitors temperature rather than packing the heart in ice.

Since the first successful heart transplant in the late 1960s, donor hearts have been preserved during transportation in a preservation solution in a cooler filled with ice. When longer trips are required to retrieve donor organs, this method runs the risk of freezing the donor heart. Studies have shown the unpredictable cooling caused by rapid temperature decrease may have detrimental effects on the integrity of the donor heart.

"We're very excited to be the first in Illinois to utilize this technology," said Edwin McGee Jr., MD, FACS, surgical director of heart transplantation and ventricular assist device program at Loyola Medicine. "Allocation of donor hearts changed in 2018 to prioritize sicker patients, often meaning longer procurement runs. The SherpaPak can mitigate some of the risk associated with longer ischemic times."

The Paragonix SherpaPak® is a lightweight shipper system for donor organs that provides a consistent, stable thermal environment for over 40 hours. According to Paragonix, the SherpaPak's initial data shows a 54% decrease in severe primary graft dysfunction and a 28% decrease in the length of stay in the ICU as compared to heart transplants using the traditional transportation method. (D’Alessandro et al., The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation 2021, Volume 40, Issue 4, Supplement , S127, April 01, 2021)

Using the SherpaPak for transportation of the donor heart, there was no wait time for the heart to warm up. "The heart jumped right into action," said Dr. McGee. In recovery, the patient required less of the medicine needed to wake up the heart, and almost no medication to keep it moving.

Dr. McGee has consistently been at the forefront of new technology to help patients with cardiovascular diseases and conditions. He was the first surgeon in North America to implant two HeartWare® continuous flow ventricular assist devices in one patient – one device in each ventricle. Dr. McGee said, "We're always looking to make heart transplants safer and better. To be a part of the first transplant in Illinois using this technology is incredibly rewarding."

Images of the Paragonix SherpaPak® and footage of Dr. McGee are available via this Dropbox link. An additional animation of the device can be found on YouTube.