Experience and early results following heart transplantation at the Humana Heart Institute

Five elective and one emergency orthotopic heart transplantation were performed in six patients, 32 to 54 years of age. Postoperative complications included transient renal failure in four patients with need for dialysis in one, seizure in one, and herpes infections in four. Immunosuppression of the first three patients consisted of cyclosporine and prednisone. The last three received cyclosporine and azathioprine, with prednisone added later for control of rejection. All six patients are home and well.