Survival following cardiac transplantation--what are acceptable standards?
In an 18-month period, 50 orthotopic cardiac transplantations were done in Utah in 48 patients with end-stage heart failure. The 12-month actuarial survival was 98%, indicating that successful cardiac transplantation can be done in a newly established program and that the intermountain West has an adequate supply of potential recipients and donors for a moderate- to high-volume program. Furthermore, the administration of cardiac transplantation in a setting of other treatment modalities of heart failure in a multi-institutional program that crosses private practice-academic barriers is feasible. Results such as these need to be considered by the federal government as it establishes eligibility criteria for centers to be approved for Medicare-funded cardiac transplantation.
Renlund
D G
DG
Bristow
M R
MR
Burton
N A
NA
Jones
K W
KW
Karwande
S V
SV
Gay
W A
WA
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality