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[Orthotopic cardiac transplantation with caval anastomosis: a comparative randomized study with standard procedure in
P Deleuze1, C Benvenuti, J P Mazzucotelli
1Service de chirurgie thoracique et cardiovasculaire, hôpital Henri-Mondor, Créteil.
Insights
The anatomical cardiac transplantation technique, preserving atrial tissue around pulmonary veins, shows significant advantages over classical transplantation. This method reduces postoperative arrhythmias and atrial size, suggesting improved outcomes for heart transplant recipients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Transplantation Medicine
- Cardiac Electrophysiology
Background:
- Standard orthotopic cardiac transplantation involves complete resection of the right atrium.
- An alternative "anatomical" technique conserves left atrial tissue around pulmonary veins, anastomosing directly to the vena cava.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the "anatomical" cardiac transplantation technique with the standard orthotopic method.
- To determine if the "anatomical" technique is the preferred procedure for cardiac transplantation.
Main Methods:
- Prospective randomized study comparing classical (n=40) and "anatomical" (n=41) cardiac transplantation techniques.
- Groups were comparable in patient demographics, disease nature, clinical status, and donor parameters.
- Graft ischemia times were similar (136 ± 46 min vs. 138 ± 51 min).
Main Results:
- Significantly higher immediate return to sinus rhythm in the "anatomical" group (36/41) vs. classical (20/40).
- Absence of persistent atrial arrhythmia in the "anatomical" group compared to 5 cases in the classical group (p < 0.001).
- Reduced early mortality in the "anatomical" group (8/41) vs. classical (13/40).
- Smaller right and left atrial surface areas and less tricuspid regurgitation observed in the "anatomical" group post-transplant.
Conclusions:
- The "anatomical" cardiac transplantation technique demonstrates a significant reduction in postoperative arrhythmias.
- Technical simplicity and reduced morbidity, particularly arrhythmias, favor the "anatomical" approach.
- The "anatomical" technique appears advantageous due to fewer surgical complications and improved atrial function.
Abstract:
Complete resection of the right atrium with conservation of a strip of left atrium around the 4 pulmonary veins followed by direct anastomosis on the vena cava has recently been proposed as an alternative to the standard orthotopic cardiac transplantation described by Shumway and Lower. In order to determine whether this "anatomical" transplantation should now be considered to be the procedure of choice, a prospective randomised study was undertaken in 1991 including 78 patients undergoing 81 cardiac transplantations by one of the two techniques: gr. I: classical transplantation (n = 40), gr. II: "anatomical" transplantation (n = 41). The groups were comparable in age, sex, weight, nature of the underlying cardiac disease and clinical status at the time of transplantation. Similarly, the parameters of the donors were comparable with respect to age, sex, weight and dosage of inotropic drugs at the time of explantation. All patients came of cardiopulmonary bypass with comparable ischaemia time of the graft (gr. I: 136 +/- 46 min; gr. II: 138 +/- 51 min). Immediate return to sinus rhythm occurred in 20 cases in gr. I and 36 cases in gr. II. Atrial arrhythmia persisted in 5 cases in gr. I but in no cases of gr. II. These differences were very significant (p < 0.001). There were 13 early deaths in gr. I and 8 in gr. II. Doppler echocardiography was performed two to three months after transplantation. The right atrial surface was significantly decreased in gr. II (18 +/- 4.7 cm2) compared with gr. I (24 +/- 7 cm2): the same difference was observed for the left atrium (gr. I: 24 +/- 4.5 cm2; gr. II: 20 +/- 5 cm2), p = 0.001. Tricuspid regurgitation was observed in 82% of patients in gr. I compared with 57% in gr. II (p < 0.005). Exercise stress tests during the same period showed no difference in peak oxygen consumption between the groups. Holter ECG monitoring led to permanent pacing in 2 patients of gr. I (5%). The technical simplicity and reduction of postoperative morbidity, especially with respect to arrhythmias, suggest an advantage with the "anatomical" technique considering the lack of surgical complications.