‘Heartbox’ holds a second chance
A NEWCASTLE-BORN woman has become the first person in the UK to receive a new heart that has been transported in an innovative new “heartbox”, which helps to preserve donor organs.
Sanjana Kocchar, 29, is from Newcastle but now lives in Liverpool. At 19, she went to her GP suffering from breathlessness and palpitations, and was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. She knew she would need a heart transplant at some stage, but though she had been managing her symptoms, a decade later, things worsened dramatically.
At home in Liverpool, she started to experience severe chest pains and palpitations. She went to A&E and the decision was made to transfer her to the Freeman Hospital and place her on the “super urgent” heart transplant list.
Care at the Freeman last autumn succeeded in controlling Sanjana’s symptoms and improving her health – she was downgraded to the “urgent” transplant list and while waiting for a transplant, she was given the chance to be part of an innovative trial. This meant she received a heart transported in a new XVIVO Heartbox, which helps to preserve a heart for longer in better condition after it is removed from the donor. The Freeman is one of three hospitals in the UK, and just 15 in Europe, taking part in the trial.
The Heartbox is a portable machine with a special pump that is connected to the donor heart, and which delivers a solution of oxygen and nutrients to the heart. The box keeps the heart still and cold, meaning it uses less oxygen and loses less energy than traditionally happens in transit.
Sanjana spoke about her heart transplant journey, starting with her initial diagnosis.
She said: “I wasn’t particularly worried about the symptoms I was experiencing, mainly because I was young and fit, but I thought it would be best to get checked out. I saw a nurse at my GP practice who carried out the ECG and was stunned when they told me my heart tracing was ‘grossly’ abnormal.”
Fast forward to 2022, and her symptoms worsened. Sanjana said: “I think the clinicians were surprised that I was managing my symptoms so well, but I wasn’t under any illusion that the time would come when I needed the transplant. I was told that when things started to deteriorate it would happen quickly and
time wouldn’t be on my side. And that’s exactly what happened.”
She said she hadn’t hesitated for a moment when asked by cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Jerome Jungschleger
about taking part in the trial. She said: “I didn’t hesitate about taking part for a moment. Having been through this experience and knowing the lifeline organ donation provides, I wanted to do anything I could to help future patients going through similar situations. Despite having had a major operation, I woke up feeling amazing and had this feeling that I’d been part of something special. I’m eternally grateful for the second chance.”
Sanjana’s transplant was performed by Professor Stephen Clark and his team. Prof Clark said: “The trial of this new machine allows us to explore a new method of heart preservation where the heart is kept still, cool and perfused with an oxygenated solution mixed with blood throughout its journey.
“Such innovations are vital if we are to save our patients’ lives through heart transplant and give them a longer, better quality of life.”
The study is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).