Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
10:27
Murine Heterotopic Heart Transplant Technique
Published on: July 8, 2014
Heart-lung transplantation: the initial Arizona experience
B Rhenman1, M J Rhenman, T B Icenogle
1Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson 85724.
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
|November 1, 1989
Summary
Heart-lung transplants show no deaths with a new surveillance strategy. Omitting routine biopsies reduced infections and rejection treatments in heart transplant patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Thoracic Surgery
- Immunology
Background:
- The University of Arizona heart transplant program has performed cardiopulmonary transplantation since 1985.
- Seven patients (five female, two male) underwent heart-lung transplantation for primary pulmonary hypertension or Eisenmenger's complex.
Observation:
- Initial immunosuppression involved rabbit antithymocyte globulin, cyclosporine, azathioprine, methylprednisolone, and prednisone.
- The first five patients underwent aggressive rejection diagnosis via endomyocardial biopsy, leading to multiple treatments and severe infections, including cytomegalovirus.
- The last two patients omitted routine biopsies, with rejection diagnosed solely by chest x-ray, resulting in no rejection treatments or infections.
Findings:
- No operative or late deaths occurred in the seven heart-lung transplant patients.
- The modified surveillance strategy in the last two patients eliminated the need for rejection treatment and prevented infections.
- Immunologic surveillance now relies on clinical examination and chest x-rays.
Implications:
- This study suggests a less invasive approach to post-transplant surveillance may be effective in heart-lung transplantation.
- Reducing routine biopsies could decrease the incidence of infection and the need for intensive immunosuppression.
- Further research is warranted to validate this simplified surveillance protocol in larger cohorts.
