Abstract
Purpose Highly effective direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) allows the use of organs from viremic, nucleic acid test-positive (NAT+) donors in non-HCV-infected recipients. This opportunity potentially expands donor pool and decreases waitlist time. This study aims to examine the impact of utilizing HCV NAT+ donor heart on heart transplant (HTx) waitlist time. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 126 patients who were listed for HTx from April 2016 through April 2018 at our center. These patients were separated into 2 periods centered on April 27, 2017 when transplantation of HCV NAT+ donor hearts into non-HCV-infected recipients began. Results Baseline patient characteristics were similar between both periods. In Period 1, 74 patients were on HTx waitlist with 52 of them ultimately transplanted, whereas in Period 2, 52 patients were listed and 36 of them transplanted. Fifteen patients were transplanted with HCV NAT+ donor hearts since April 27, 2017. Transplant rate increased from 0.83 person-year in Period 1 to 2.31 person-year in Period 2 (p Conclusion Our single-center analysis demonstrates that utilization of HCV NAT+ donor heart has resulted in an increase in transplant rate and a reduction in HTx waitlist time. Further extended follow-up is needed to determine long-term safety and efficacy of this strategy.
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