Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 16, 2025
A Murine Model of Stent Implantation in the Carotid Artery for the Study of Restenosis
Published on: May 14, 2013
Transplanted stents: a case report
Frieda-Maria Kainz1, Stephanie Wallner1, Keziban Uyanik-Uenal1
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Insights
This case report details a heart transplant recipient who had two coronary artery stents unknowingly transplanted. Both stents remained functional long-term, highlighting the importance of thorough donor evaluation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Medicine
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Cardiac transplantation requires rigorous donor evaluation to exclude pre-existing conditions.
- Donor center urgency and equipment availability can impact the thoroughness of pre-transplant assessments.
- The presence of coronary artery stents in donor hearts is an uncommon scenario.
Observation:
- A 59-year-old male received a heart transplant for dilated cardiomyopathy.
- Routine cardiac catheterization one year post-transplant revealed two previously undetected coronary artery stents.
- One stent developed in-stent restenosis 7 years post-transplant, requiring intervention; the other remained patent.
Findings:
- This is the first reported case of successfully transplanted coronary arteries with stents.
- The transplanted stents were asymptomatic prior to transplantation.
- Favorable long-term outcomes were observed despite the presence of coronary stents.
Implications:
- Highlights the critical need for meticulous donor coronary artery examination during the evaluation process.
- Suggests that well-functioning coronary stents in donors may not preclude successful transplantation.
- Emphasizes the importance of balancing donor evaluation protocols with logistical constraints in transplantation centers.
Background:
An optimal donor work-up to exclude preexisting conditions is recommended, but urgency and technical equipment in donor centers must be considered. We report a case of two coronary stents present in the donor heart and the related long-term outcome.
Case Presentation:
A 59-year-old European male patient suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy with severely reduced left ventricular function and presenting with NYHA III underwent cardiac transplantation in 2004. At the one-year follow-up, during routine cardiac catheterization, two stents were found, one in the right coronary artery and one in the circumflex artery, in the patient's transplanted heart. As no stent implantation was performed since transplantation, these were present prior to transplantation and had been transplanted without causing clinical signs. One of the stents showed in-stent restenosis, and the patient received an additional stent 7 years after transplantation. The other stent still showed a good result, and no further intervention has been required so far. The patient is currently in good clinical condition.
Conclusion:
This is the first case report of favorable long-term stented coronary arteries prior to transplantation. This case highlights the importance of the donor work-up and meticulous palpation of the coronary arteries during donor evaluation.
