London hospital completes Canada's first heart-in-a-box transplant

London Health Sciences Centre completed Canada's first heart transplant using the Transmedics Organ Care system, a device that revives donor hearts after circulatory death — expanding the pool of viable hearts for transplant and potentially slashing wait times.

The system, called a "heart in a box," allows surgeons to assess whether a donor heart is healthy enough for transplant before the operation. Raj Mittal, the recipient, waited two weeks before undergoing the procedure in February 2026. Mittal had undergone triple bypass surgery in 2025 and was readmitted in January 2026 before being placed on the organ donation list.

"I am able to do some activities like walking, and as per the doctors, I'm doing physiotherapy and other things. Now I can see, like I'm able to spend time with my kids and family," Mittal said.

Dr. Dave Nagpal, co-director of the multi-organ transplant program at LHSC, said the technology addresses a critical shortage. "We unfortunately have people waiting for transplants who become too sick for a transplant or even die on a transplant waitlist. We expect this is going to increase donor heart availability by upwards of 40 percent."

The system can extend transport time to 12 hours, widening the geographic range for donor-recipient matching. The procedure resulted from collaboration between LHSC, Ontario Health, and Trillium Gift of Life Network.