Surgeons at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle are testing a new “heart in a box” device that may change the way organs are transported for use in transplantation. 

UW is one of seven sites nationwide where doctors will be testing the new device that they hope will help keep organs warm and beating during transport, potentially increasing the number of organs available for patients who need a transplant.

STS member Richard Shemin, MD, chief of  cardiothoracic surgery at UCLA, discussed the new technology saying, “We’re hoping to be able to demonstrate that we can better preserve the heart, get better function, and be able to travel longer distances so we can get more hearts to patients.”

Read the full story in the Seattle Times here: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/uw-docs-test-heart-in-a-box-to…