[Analysis of 2000 heart transplant, procedures at la Pitié Hospital]

Since the first procedure carried out at La Pitié Hospital, on 27 April 1968, we have performed 1918 heart transplants. We analyzed outcomes in four successive periods: initial experience from 1968 to 1981 (53 patients), using early immunosuppressive regimens; an expansion phase (839 patients) from 1982 to 1992, with the introduction of cyclosporine; a stabilisation phase (522 patients) from 1993 to 2003; and the most recent phase (504 patients) from 2004 to 2010. We focused particularly on the most recent period. National super-emergency "rules were created, and grafts from older," "borderline" donors were used. Hyperimmune recipients started to be grafted, and ECMO was frequently used during the preoperative and postoperative periods. Due to limited organ availability, we have gradually placed more and more patients on mechanical cardiac support as a bridge to transplantation. Their quality of life is improved.