title: Surgical therapy for congestive heart failure: indications for transplantation versus cardiomyoplasty.
abstract: Heart transplantation is the procedure of choice for patients with severe congestive heart failure, but many patients are not candidates because of associated medical problems and the lack of donor hearts. Since 1988 we have performed 36 heart transplantations. One and 2-year actuarial survival rates have been 82% and 73%. Sixteen patients who were not candidates for heart transplantation have undergone cardiomyoplasty, a procedure in which the left latissimus dorsi is transposed to the myocardium and paced synchronously with the heart to augment cardiac function. The average age was 55 years (range, 39 to 65 years). Preoperative left and right ejection fractions were 24.9% +/- 2.1% and 43% +/- 4.5%. Eleven patients were in the New York Heart Association class IV, and five patients were in class III. Four operative deaths occurred, and three additional deaths occurred within 6 months of surgery. Nine patients became long-term survivors, and seven of nine patients are alive at a mean follow-up of 29 months. All patients are in New York Heart Association class I or II. In long-term survivors, mean left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 24.9% +/- 2.1% to 31.8% +/- 3.5% (p less than 0.01). All but one of the operative and early deaths occurred in patients with biventricular failure (n = 6). One operative death and no early deaths occurred in patients with normal right ventricular ejection fraction. This initial experience suggests that cardiomyoplasty may be helpful for heart failure patients with preserved right ventricular function, but heart transplantation should be the therapy of choice for biventricular failure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Magovern
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Magovern
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Magovern
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Palumbi
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Orie
mesh_terms: D001243:Assisted Circulation / Q000379:methods*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000637:transplantation*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013524:Surgical Flaps