This manuscript reviews organ preservation strategies for all solid organs. For donor heart preservation, the authors note:

“Cold storage of the heart is one of the most challenging fields for organ preservation because of the high sensitivity of cardiac muscle to hypoxic injury and the serious perioperative consequences of inadequate preservation, leading to poor early graft function with associated high morbidities and mortalities. Careful selection of donor hearts is mandated.”

Edgardo E. Guiberta, Alexander Y. Petrenko Cecilia L. Balabana Alexander Y. Somov, Joaquín V. Rodrigueza, Barry J. Fullerc
Transfus Med Hemother 2011;38:125–142
DOI: 10.1159/000327033
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov