Outcome while awaiting heart transplantation in children: a comparison of congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy.
BACKGROUND
Outcomes for children who undergo heart transplantation differ for children with congenital heart disease as compared to those with structurally normal hearts. Similar data have not been reported for these groups of patients for the morbidity and mortality associated with waiting for a donor. We report these data.


METHODS
A retrospective review was performed for all pediatric patients who were listed for heart transplantation at Stanford from 1977 to 1996, comparing mortality and major morbidity for patients with congenital heart disease and those with cardiomyopathy and structurally normal hearts.


RESULTS
There were 96 patients who met study criteria, of whom 67 were successfully transplanted. The median waiting time was 23 days. Survival at 30 days was 93% and at 90 days was 81%, with no difference between groups. Major complications were identified in 38% of patients with structurally normal hearts, vs 9% of patients with congenital heart disease (p < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Overall mortality is similar for patients with congenital heart disease and those with structurally normal hearts while listed for heart transplantation, but patients with congenital heart disease have fewer episodes of major morbidity during this time.
Rosenthal
D N
DN
Department of Pediatricsa, Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital and Stanford University Hospital, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA. david.rosenthal@stanford.edu
Dubin
A M
AM
Chin
C
C
Falco
D
D
Gamberg
P
P
Bernstein
D
D
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists