Spectrum News Surgeons Believe Transplant Medical Device Could Save More Patients Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 26 May 2021 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Spectrum News Surgeons Believe Transplant Medical Device Could Save More Patients After procuring a donor heart and lungs, Smidt Heart Institute transplant surgeons and procurement staff stand alongside their three airline pilots before leaving Honolulu, Hawaii. Photo by Cedars-Sinai. Spectrum News recently featured the story of heart transplant patient Donald Stivers and the new "Heart in a Box" medical device that Cedars-Sinai cardiothoracic surgeon Dominic Emerson, MD, used to save Stivers' life. Despite a lifelong heart condition, Stivers had enjoyed horseback riding, hiking in the mountains and cliff diving. But at 74 years old, his condition had worsened, and he faced a prognosis of only six to 12 months to live. A heart transplant was his only option for survival, but it seemed like a longshot. Finding a heart for a man his age and size–over 6 feet tall–would be difficult. To improve his odds, Stivers volunteered for the OCS Heart clinical trial at Cedars-Sinai, which is testing a "Heart in a Box" system that can keep donor organs viable longer and reach recipients farther away. Under normal conditions, donor hearts can only last about four hours outside the body on ice. "We are able to utilize organs that would otherwise potentially have gone to waste either because they are far away, or there are other reasons that we have to investigate their function," said Emerson, associate surgical director of Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Cedars-Sinai, in an interview with Spectrum News. He estimated that the "Heart in a Box" device, which is under FDA review, could enable his team to perform as many as 15 additional transplants a year. That would be life-changing for patients like Stivers, who received a new heart in March that traveled from Hawaii. "It's like you get your life to start over again," Stivers told Spectrum News. Click here to watch the complete story on Spectrum News. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Share this release Spectrum News Surgeons Believe Transplant Medical Device Could Save More Patients Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home