Type A Aortic Dissection in Heart Transplantation Recipients in the United States

Type A aortic dissection in heart transplantation recipients is rare and lethal, with limited research beyond case reports. This study aimed to analyze patient characteristics and clinical outcomes of this condition through a US national database.

The National Inpatient Sample database (2002-2018) was used to identify all type A aortic dissection in heart transplantation recipients aged >18 years. Incidence was quantified annually. Primary outcomes were in-hospital mortality; secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay and complications.

We identified 78 cases of type A aortic dissection in heart transplantation recipients. Compared with type A aortic dissection patients without a history of solid organ transplantation (N = 70,715), our patients were younger (55.3 vs 60.7 years), less likely female (18.5% vs 33.5%), and more frequently Black or Hispanic (55% vs 23%). They had a greater prevalence of Marfan syndrome (13% vs 3%), congestive heart failure (46% vs 19%), and chronic kidney disease (19% vs 10%), as well as increased in-hospital mortality (30% vs 18%) and a longer hospital length of stay (29.5 vs 13.7 days). They experienced elevated rates of cardiac (57% vs 31%), respiratory (70. % vs 41%), renal (76% vs 30%), and bleeding complications (37% vs 14%).

Type A aortic dissection in heart transplantation recipients appears to exhibit distinct characteristics and poorer outcomes compared with those in the general population. Heart transplantation recipients with predisposing risk factors warrant heightened attention to help prevent this devastating condition.