Behind the 2025 Heart Transplant Breakthrough at Toronto’s UHN

The 2025 DCC transplant didn’t happen by accident. It is the result of years of preparation, research, and cross-disciplinary coordination. The UHN team, led by cardiac surgeon Dr. Seyed Alireza Rabi, coordinated surgeons, cardiologists, ethicists, perfusionists, and tissue specialists to orchestrate this Canadian first.

Dr. Rabi had prior experience in DCC transplantation in the U.S.; he brought that expertise to lead Canada’s effort. Foundation+1 UHN’s Ajmera Transplant Centre and Peter Munk Cardiac Centre were central hubs. Institutional support (operating theaters, rapid transport, ICU readiness) was essential to minimize the ischemic period.

They followed strict guidelines: once life support is withdrawn and death is confirmed, the team acts quickly to retrieve organs before deterioration. This requires coordination, speed, and state-of-the-art preservation techniques. Hospital News+1

Another factor: regulatory alignment. Ontario’s organ donation and transplant network (Trillium Gift of Life Network) supported protocols to expand eligibility. UHN Foundation+1 Also, ethical oversight and consent processes had to be refined to include this new pathway.

The achievement showcases how institutional readiness, leadership, and innovation converge. UHN’s success opens the door for replication in other provinces.