Pediatric heart transplantation: improving results in high-risk patients

Our institutional experience with 68 pediatric patients undergoing cardiac transplantation was reviewed to determine the impact of unconventional donor and recipient management protocols implemented to extend the availability of this therapy. The introduction of donor blood insulin cardioplegia was associated with a significant improvement in patient and graft survival. Among 63 ABO-matched transplant procedures, both the patient and graft loss rate were significantly lower (by multivariable analysis) with the use of the donor blood insulin cardioplegia versus conventional cardioplegia, despite significantly longer ischemic times in the former group. Twenty-three (33.8%) patients were deemed at ultra-high risk: eight of 11 patients with cardiomyopathy transplanted following ECMO support survived without major sequelae; three of four additional patients survived early retransplantation. Ten patients underwent intentional ABO-incompatible transplantation under a protocol of plasma exchange on bypass. There were two early deaths because of nonspecific graft failure and respiratory complications with mild vascular rejection, and one late death because of lymphoma. Among seven surviving ABO-incompatible patients followed up to 31 months, there have been no episodes of humoral rejection despite development of antidonor blood group antibodies in A to O, but not B to O, mismatches. The results with pediatric cardiac transplantation continue to improve as a result of changes in both surgical and medical protocols permitting salvage of patients conventionally considered at high risk or nontransplantable.