A Simple Technique for Reliable Donor Organ Temperature Management With the SherpaPak System

Abstract

Here, we present our technique for thermoregulation of cardiac preservation solution with the SherpaPak device before heart transplantation. If it is above the ideal range (5-10°C) to avoid organ injury and ensure proper function, the cardiac preservation solution bag should be placed in ice water to bring down temperature until the ideal range is achieved. SherpaPak has limitation in immediately correcting initial temperatures outside of the normal range, so we believe this simple step should be included into standard SherpaPak procedure to ensure its effectiveness and to preserve the best organ function.