National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) has successfully performed the world's first heart transplant with zero ischemia time, meaning the donor heart continued receiving oxygen-rich blood throughout the entire transplant procedure.
Since completing its first heart transplant in 1987, NTUH has performed more than 700 such operations, accounting for roughly one-third of all heart transplants in Taiwan.
NTUH cardiac surgeon Dr. Chi Nai-Hsin (紀乃新) explains that typically heart transplants involve a period when the heart is without blood flow, known as ischemia time, which can damage the organ and affect patient recovery. To address this, the NTU team developed a specialized mobile perfusion system, which maintains oxygen-rich blood flow to the donor heart throughout the transplant process. NTU has now successfully completed two surgeries using the system.
Amid growing global concern over transplant ethics, particularly in China, NTUH Director Wu Ming-Shiang (吳明賢) reassured the public that Taiwan maintains strict legal and ethical standards for organ donation, calling Taiwan’s system one of the best in the world.