Cardiac Transplantation for Peripartum Cardiomyopathy in a Patient With Sickle Cell Disease

Cardiac surgery, particularly cardiac transplantation, is considered high risk in patients with sickle cell hemoglobinopathies and rarely reported in the literature.

We present a case of a 33-year-old woman with sickle cell β+ thalassemia and peripartum cardiomyopathy, who presented with sickling crisis and cardiogenic shock requiring temporary mechanical support. The patient ultimately successfully underwent heart transplantation.

This case illustrates how careful use of mechanical circulatory support, appropriate perisurgical planning including preoperative exchange transfusion and avoidance of hypothermia, allowed for successful orthotopic heart transplantation in a woman with sickle cell hemoglobinopathy and cardiogenic shock in the postpartum setting.

Cardiac transplantation in patients with hemoglobinopathies is rare but achievable. A tailored perioperative approach, developed by a collaborative multidisciplinary team, can optimize outcomes and lead to successful transplantation in these complex cases.