Thoracic imaging in heart transplantation

Heart transplantation remains the best treatment option for patients with end-stage heart failure refractory to standard management. Thoracic imaging plays an important role in the preoperative and postoperative evaluation of cardiac transplant recipients. This article reviews the major complications of cardiac transplantation, including acute allograft rejection. Advances in the treatment of organ rejection have improved the long-term survival of cardiac transplant recipients. Rejection is now detected earlier with the help of endomyocardial biopsy and treated aggressively with improved immunosuppressive therapies. The estimated 1-year and 5-year survival rates of heart transplant recipients are 79% and 65%, respectively (2).