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Latest developments in heart transplantation: a review
Jabbour Andrew1, Peter Macdonald1
1Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St. Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, Australia; Cardiac Physiology and Transplantation Laboratory, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia.
Insights
Recent advancements in heart transplantation (HT) show promise for improving patient outcomes. Key developments include better organ preservation and managing rejection, potentially increasing the number of successful heart transplants.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Medicine
- Immunology
Background:
- Heart transplantation (HT) is the primary treatment for advanced heart failure.
- Medical therapies and mechanical support have improved, but HT remains crucial.
- Recent innovations include transplanting hearts from donors after circulatory determination of death.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review significant developments in heart transplantation (HT) published in 2014 and 2015.
- To highlight key advancements impacting HT procedures and outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A MEDLINE search using the keyword "heart transplant" was conducted.
- Relevant articles published in 2014 and 2015 were selected and reviewed.
Main Results:
- Improvements noted in attenuating ischemia-reperfusion injury.
- Advances in patient selection, immunosuppression, and donor organ preservation.
- Progress in detecting and managing cardiac rejection and allograft vasculopathy.
Conclusions:
- Significant advances in the past year offer potential for improved HT outcomes.
- These developments may lead to an increase in the number of heart transplantations performed.
- Continued research promises tangible benefits for HT recipients.
Purpose:
Heart transplantation (HT) remains the treatment of choice for advanced heart failure despite improvements in medical therapy and mechanical circulatory support. Significant developments have occurred in the field of HT over the past year, in particular the successful transplantation of donor hearts after circulatory determination of death. The purpose of this article was to review developments in HT published in 2014 and 2015.
Methods:
Selected articles found using a MEDLINE search of the key term heart transplant were reviewed.
Findings:
The year has seen improvements in the attenuation of ischemia and reperfusion injury, patient selection, immunosuppression, imaging of the transplanted heart, and donor organ preservation that hold promise for increasing the number of transplantations and improving outcomes in HT recipients. Advances in the detection and attenuation of cardiac rejection and allograft vasculopathy are highlighted.
Implications:
A number of significant advances over the past year hold promise for tangible improvements in outcomes in the field of HT.
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