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Updated: Apr 12, 2026
A Porcine Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Protocol for Delivery of Therapeutics to a Cardiac Allograft
Published on: February 14, 2022
Heart transplantation
1Heart and Heart-Lung Transplantation Unit, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Erasme Hospital Free University Brussels Belgium.
Insights
Cardiac transplantation survival rates significantly improved after 1980 with the introduction of Cyclosporine immunosuppression. Donor organ availability is now the primary limitation for this heart failure therapy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Medicine
- Immunosuppression Therapy
Background:
- Cardiac transplantation, initiated in 1967, faced limited success for decades due to inadequate immunosuppression.
- Survival rates were poor, restricting the procedure to 20-30 patients annually worldwide until the late 1970s.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the impact of immunosuppression advancements on cardiac transplantation outcomes.
- To discuss the current status and limitations of heart transplantation as a therapy for end-stage congestive heart failure.
Main Methods:
- Historical review of cardiac transplantation outcomes.
- Analysis of the effect of immunosuppressive agents on patient survival.
- Evaluation of current trends and challenges in organ procurement.
Main Results:
- The introduction of Cyclosporine in 1980 dramatically improved survival rates.
- Heart transplantation has become a well-established therapy for end-stage congestive heart failure.
- Limited donor organ availability is the current primary obstacle to wider application.
Conclusions:
- Cyclosporine revolutionized cardiac transplantation, transforming it into a viable treatment option.
- Despite improved survival, organ scarcity remains a critical challenge in the field.
- Further advancements in immunosuppression and organ procurement are crucial for expanding heart transplantation access.
Abstract:
Since the first human heart transplantation performed by Barnard on December 3, 1967, cardiac transplantation has now largely entered its third decade of clinical applicability. Up to the end of the seventies, the rather disappointing survival results mainly caused by the limited effectiveness of the immunosuppression therapy available at that time, maintained the clinical use of the procedure to a restricted number of no more than 20 to 30 patients each year world wide. The introduction in 1980 of Cyclosporine in the immunosuppression therapy has produced a tremendous improvement in the survival rate and has since promoted a spectacular resurgence of interest for heart transplantation which is presently a well established therapy for end stage congestive heart failure. Indeed, currently the real limiting factor of the treatment is the limited procurement of donor organs.
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