Combined Heart and Kidney Transplantation: Initial Clinical Experience

Combined solid organ transplantation is infrequently performed in Brazil. The objective of this article is to present our initial experience with combined heart and kidney transplantation.

From January 2007 to December 2019, four patients were submitted to combined heart and kidney transplantation. Their mean age was 55.7±4.4 years, and three (75%) patients were males. All patients had Chagas cardiomyopathy, two were hospitalized and inotrope dependent, and all patients were on preoperative dialysis (median of 12 months prior to transplant).

All patients survived and were in New York Heart Association functional class I at the latest follow-up (mean 34.7±17.5 months). Mean retarded kidney graft function was 22.9±9.7 days. One patient lost the kidney graft two years after the transplant due to Polyomavirus infection.

Our initial experience of combined heart and kidney transplantation was favorable in selected patients with advanced heart failure and end-stage kidney disease. It requires involvement of a dedicated multispecialty team throughout all the diagnostics and treatment steps.