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Corrective surgery for idiopathic scoliosis after heart transplantation
D Ceroni1, M Beghetti, I Spahr-Schopfer
1Paediatric Orthopaedic Unit, Children's Hospital, University Hospital Geneva, Switzerland. dimitri.ceroni@hcuge.ch
Insights
Orthopaedic surgery, such as spinal fusion for scoliosis, can be safely performed in heart transplant recipients. This case report details a successful scoliosis surgery 14 months post-transplant.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Transplantation Medicine
Background:
- Cardiac transplant recipients face unique surgical risks beyond rejection and infection.
- Orthopaedic conditions like idiopathic scoliosis can occur in patients with end-stage heart disease.
- Surgical interventions in heart transplant patients require careful consideration of physiological and pharmacological factors.
Observation:
- Idiopathic scoliosis is a spinal condition that can be associated with congenital heart disease.
- Surgical treatment for scoliosis in heart transplant recipients presents significant risks.
- This case involves a 15-year-old patient who underwent corrective surgery for idiopathic scoliosis 14 months after a heart transplant.
Findings:
- Successful corrective surgery for idiopathic scoliosis was performed in a heart transplant recipient.
- The procedure was completed 14 months after the patient's cardiac transplant.
- This represents a potentially novel orthopaedic procedure in this patient population.
Implications:
- This case suggests that orthopaedic procedures, including spinal fusion for scoliosis, may be feasible in heart transplant survivors.
- Careful pre-operative assessment and management are crucial for successful outcomes in these complex patients.
- Further research is warranted to establish safety and efficacy of various orthopaedic surgeries in heart transplant recipients.
Abstract:
Cardiac transplant surgery is being performed with increasing frequency as a treatment for end-stage heart disease. In addition to the well-known post-surgical problems of rejection and infection, these patients may present at a future date with other medical problems which require surgical treatment, including orthopaedic pathology. Severe idiopathic scoliosis has been described in association with congenital heart disease, and its surgical treatment poses considerable risks because of heart disease. Spinal fusion in heart transplant recipients involves similar risks due to the particular physiology and pharmacological reactions of the denervated heart. Several cases of cholecystectomy performed in heart transplant recipients have been described, but to our knowledge no orthopaedic procedures have been reported in such patients. We report on a 15-year-old patient who underwent successful corrective surgery for idiopathic scoliosis 14 months after heart transplant.