DCD Heart Transplants Expand in US Without Worse Outcomes, Study Finds
Washington – September 15, 2026 -- Donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplantation expanded rapidly across the United States between 2019 and 2024 without any measurable decline in early clinical outcomes, according to research published in the September 2026 issue of the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF).
Registry data on 1,489 patients show no rise in graft failure or mortality
Investigators analyzed U.S. registry data covering 1,489 adult DCD heart transplant recipients, comparing the early adoption period of 2019-2021 with the national expansion period of 2022-2024. The analysis found no significant differences in one-year graft failure, mortality, need for renal replacement therapy, re-transplantation or hospital length of stay between the two periods. Outcomes remained consistent even among higher-risk recipients, as DCD transplantation spread to a growing number of transplant centers nationwide.