Heart Valve Bank

The Heart Valve Bank of Erasmus MC is the unique facility in The Netherlands
for processing and preservation of human heart valves. These valves are being
released for transplantation purposes. Potential donors are selected and screened
for heart valve donation by the Bio Implant Service in Leiden, The Netherlands.
After a donor has been accepted, the heart is explanted and transported to the
Heart Valve Bank. Here the heart valves are dissected and qualified. Heart
valves that are suitable for transplantation are preserved through freezing and
storage at very low temperature. After having passed all quality tests a heart
valve can be released for transplantation.