ETB-BISLIFE processes and stores donated cardiovascular tissue for transplantation purposes and provides grafts for patients with congenital defects or inflammations of the heart.
Heart Valve
Product range
ETB-BISLIFE is the only heart valve bank in the Netherlands that has a licence for the preparation and storage of donated human cardiovascular tissue (mostly heart valves and vessels).
Requesting tissue
To apply for tissue within the Netherlands, you can contact the Dutch Transplant Foundation (NTS).
Storage and use
The end user is responsible for appropriate storage of the tissue.
Donors
In principle, donor hearts can be obtained from the entire Eurotransplant region, but they mainly originate in the Netherlands.
Processing
Dissection of the heart (dissecting the large blood vessels) must take place within 40 hours after the donor’s circulation has stopped.
Recipients
Recipients can be roughly divided into neonates with congenital defects
History
The Heart Valve Bank (HVB) Beverwijk is the only facility in the Netherlands specializing in the preservation and storage of donated cardiovascular tissues (incl. heart valves and vessels).