Good long-term survival after paediatric heart transplantation

Charlotte Duhn Kruse, Morten Helvind, Tim Jensen, Finn Gustafsson, Svend Aage Mortensen, Henrik Orbaek Andersen

    5 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The brain-death criterion was introduced in Denmark in 1990. The first Danish paediatric heart transplantation (HTx) was performed at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, in Copenhagen in 1991. We describe our experiences during the first 20 years with paediatric HTx. This was a retrospective study of 37 paediatric patients (<18 years) who were listed for HTx from 1991 to 2011. A total of 26 of the 37 children listed underwent HTx, nine due to congenital heart disease (CHD) and 17 due to cardiomyopathy (CM). Ten patients died while being on the waiting list. One patient was withdrawn from the list due to spontaneous improvement. A total of 21 patients remain alive. Survival was 92% after five years and 82% after ten years. We had two early (CHD) and three late (CM) deaths. Complications were few, but significant. Early acute rejection occurred in seven patients, whereas one patient with repeated late episodes of acute rejection died from graft failure 5.5 years after HTx. We found a time-related progressive deterioration in renal function. Two patients underwent renal Tx, two others died while being on dialysis. Cardiac allograft vasculopathy occurred in three patients, two of whom died. The third remains alive today, 19 years after HTx. Our paediatric HTx results are comparable with those of larger international centres and consistent with true long-term survival. not relevant. not relevant.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalDanish Medical Bulletin (Online)
    Volume59
    Issue number1
    Pages (from-to)A4367
    ISSN1603-9629
    Publication statusPublished - Jan 2012

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