Partial Heart Transplant Highlighted at Spanish Cardiovascular Surgery Congress in Vigo

The Spanish Society of Cardiovascular and Endovascular Surgery (SECCE) opened its 28th congress in Vigo, with President Juan José Legarra describing cardiovascular surgery as being in an "exciting moment" and praising the collaboration between Spanish and Portuguese cardiac societies.

During the congress, surgeons presented the first partial heart transplant performed in Spain and the second in Europe, a procedure that replaces a damaged aortic valve root in infants with a donor segment that can grow with the child. The operation, pioneered by Dr. Josep Turek and performed by cardiac surgeon Ana Pita at Hospital Gregorio Marañón, aims to reduce the number of repeat surgeries required for children with congenital heart defects and expand the pool of usable donor hearts. Perfusionists, such as José Zamorano of the Spanish Association of Perfusionists, played a critical role in maintaining circulation during the transplant.

The technique also offers the possibility of using hearts that were previously considered unsuitable due to size or blood‑type mismatches, potentially increasing donor availability and lowering the immunosuppressive drug doses needed compared with conventional transplants.