Abstract: Organ transplantation has brought hope for healing of patients with end-stage organ failure. However, the shortage of human organs has become one of the important factors that severely restrict the development of human organ transplantation. Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a safe way to expand the source of donors. While trying to make extensive effort to increase the quantity of donation after brain death (DBD), countries attempt to grasp the opportunity of DCD when conditions permit. In this article, the historical background and global development trend of DCD, fundamental conditions for the implementation of controllable DCD, key issues and ethical review in the practice of controllable DCD were discussed.