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Updated: Jun 2, 2026
Murine Heterotopic Heart Transplant Technique
Published on: July 8, 2014
Ege University experience in cardiac transplantation
1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Ege University Medical Faculty, Izmir, Turkey.
Insights
Orthotopic heart transplantation is a viable treatment for end-stage heart failure, though donor shortages pose challenges. Ventricular assist devices can bridge patients to transplant, improving outcomes for those awaiting this life-saving procedure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Medicine
- Surgical Innovation
Background:
- End-stage heart failure necessitates advanced treatment options.
- Orthotopic heart transplantation is the definitive therapy for end-stage cardiac failure.
- This study presents clinical experience with 140 heart transplantations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical outcomes of orthotopic heart transplantation.
- To assess the feasibility and challenges of heart transplantation.
- To highlight the role of ventricular assist devices in bridging patients to transplantation.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 140 orthotopic heart transplantations performed between February 1998 and September 2010.
- Patient demographics included mean age of 40 ± 13 years, with 77.8% men.
- Primary etiologies were dilated cardiomyopathy (73%) and ischemic cardiomyopathy (27%).
Main Results:
- Early mortality (within 30 days) was 12.8%, primarily due to right ventricular failure (44%) and infection (22%).
- Overall 39% mortality was attributed to infection (29%) and right ventricular failure (20%).
- Sudden death (16%), rejection, graft failure, and malignancy were other causes of mortality.
Conclusions:
- Heart transplantation is the standard for end-stage heart failure but faces donor scarcity.
- Heart transplantation in Turkey is feasible for select patients with irreversible congestive heart failure.
- Ventricular assist devices effectively bridge patients to transplantation, reducing waiting list mortality.
Background:
End-stage heart failure can result from many cardiac and noncardiac entities that produce a poor prognosis. Medical and interventional modalities are widely used to treat this condition, although the ultimate therapy remains heart transplantation. Herein we present our clinical experience with 140 patients who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation.
Methods:
Between February 1998 and September 2010, we transplanted 140 patients with a mean age of 40 ± 13 years, including 109 men (77.8%) and 31 women (22%). There were 101 patients (73%) with dilated cardiomyopathy and 39 (27%) with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Two patients were retransplanted owing to graft failure. Sixteen patients on assist device support were successfully bridged to transplantation.
Results:
Eighteen patients (12.8%) died within 30 days with the most common causes being right ventricular failure (8/18, 44%) and infection (4/18, 22%). Overall mortality of 39% (55/140) was most commonly caused by infection (29%, 16/55) or right ventricular failure (20%, 11/55). Nine patients (16%) died suddenly outside of the hospital. Three patients died of rejection; 4 of graft failure, and 4 of malignant disease.
Conclusions:
Heart transplantation remains the standard treatment modality for end-stage cardiac failure. But significant waiting list mortality rates are due to the worldwide shortage of donors. Heart transplantation in Turkey is feasible for a small and strictly selected number of patients with nonreversible congestive heart failure. In recent years, ventricular assist device applications have successful bridged subjects to transplantation, saving many patients on active waiting lists.
