Circulatory dynamics during dental operations in patients with heart transplants

Twelve patients with heart transplants and who needed dental operations were studied. At the same time, a group of normal subjects was enrolled as control. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded in all subjects when they sat in the chair, after 5 minutes of relaxation, 5 minutes after administration of local anesthetic, and immediately after each dental extraction or curettage. No statistically significant difference was found between the values recorded during the different situations and the basal values in transplanted patients. Conversely, in the normal subjects, the values recorded when they sat in the chair, at the end of curettage, and at the end of dental extractions were significantly different from the basal values. The slight and dulled cardiovascular reaction to stress in patients with heart transplants suggests that the management of these patients is relatively uncomplicated and certainly easier than treatment of subjects with heart disease.