This 2-day masterclass was led by Marius Berman MD, FRCS (CTh), Consultant Cardiothoracic & Transplant Surgeon, Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge.

Following the online delivery of this masterclass, during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, we were delighted to deliver this hands-on masterclass with 26 delegates joining us at the Evelyn Cambridge Surgical Training Centre.

Cardiothoracic organ retrieval and transplantation is an area of sub-specialisation uncommonly encountered by the majority of surgeons. This course enabled senior trainees and junior consultants to master traditional methods and practice the newest and safest techniques in heart retrieval and transplantation.

This Masterclass, and associated learning, aimed to enhance proficiency in working as a team in organ retrieval and it covered:

• the national protocol of direct retrieval and ex-vivo perfusion of the heart following donation after circulatory death (DCD)
• safe cardiothoracic organ retrieval with abdominal normothermic regional perfusion
• heart transplantation techniques in an era of complex recipients
• immediate post-transplant support techniques in case of primary graft failure

The course was aimed at Consultant Cardiac Surgeons within their first 2-3 years of appointment and senior trainees in cardiac surgery. Delegates had access to an online version of this course to help them prepare in advance of the session, and for revision and review after the session.

This course was accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and endorsed by the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT).