Combined heart and lung transplantation

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Transplantation Medicine

Background:

• End-stage pulmonary hypertension presents a critical therapeutic challenge.
• Congenital heart disease, such as Eisenmenger's syndrome, complicates pulmonary hypertension.
• Previous lung transplantation outcomes were less favorable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of combined heart and lung transplantation.
• To assess outcomes in patients with end-stage pulmonary hypertension and Eisenmenger's syndrome.
• To compare results with prior lung-only transplantation data.

Main Methods:

• Ten patients underwent combined heart and lung transplantation between March 1981 and December 1982.
• Patients included those with Eisenmenger's syndrome and primary pulmonary hypertension.
• Outcomes were tracked for survival, hospital stay, and return to normal activity.

Main Results:

• Three patients died within one month post-operation.
• The remaining seven recipients demonstrated positive outcomes 2 months to 2 years after transplantation.
• Survivors exhibited hospital stays ranging from 38 to 85 days and returned to normal activities.

Conclusions:

• Combined heart and lung transplantation is a viable treatment for end-stage pulmonary hypertension.
• The procedure shows superior results compared to lung transplantation alone.
• Further investigation into cardiopulmonary replacement for advanced pulmonary failure is warranted.