Heart preservation and transportation apparatus and method employing low rate cardiac pacing for improved removal of catabolites from the myocardium

Apparatus for preservation of a heart for subsequent transplantation, said heart including a portion of the aorta outside of the aortic valve, comprising:

• a heart-containing vessel and perfusion fluid in said vessel, said vessel adapted to contain a heart, said heart being submerged in said perfusion fluid;
• a perfusion fluid circulating system for circulating said perfusion fluid in a retrograde direction through coronary arteries of the submerged heart, said system having input means for inputting said fluid to the aorta above the aortic valve so that at least some of said fluid is perfused into the coronary ostia and through the coronary arteries;
• output means for outputting said fluid from said vessel;
• pump means for pumping said fluid with a substantially constant pressure into said input means;
• processing means for processing said fluid to control predetermined parameters of said fluid;
• and
• pacing system means for pacing said heart, said pacing system means having pulse generator means for generating pace pulses at a rate below the normal pacing range for a human heart, and lead means for delivering said pace pulses to said heart.