Long-term outcomes of cardiac transplantation for peri-partum cardiomyopathy: a multiinstitutional analysis.
BACKGROUND
Outcomes of patients with a prior diagnosis of peri-partum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) undergoing heart transplantation are not well described but may be worse than for women who undergo transplantation for other etiologies.


METHODS
Between 1999 and 2005, 69 women aged younger than 40 underwent transplantation for PPCM in 29 institutions participating in the Cardiac Transplant Research Database. Patients with PPCM were compared with 90 female recipients of similar age with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) and history of pregnancy (P+), 53 with no prior pregnancy (P-), and with 459 men of a similar age with IDC. Rejection, infection, cardiac allograft vasculopathy, and survival were compared.


RESULTS
Recipients with PPCM accounted for 1% of all transplants and 5% of transplants in women. Comparisons of the 4 patient groups were made. The risk of cumulative rejection was higher in the PPCM Group compared with the P- Group (p < 0.04) and the men (p < 0.0001). Cumulative risk of infection was lowest in the PPCM Group. Freedom from cardiac allograft vasculopathy was similar or higher in the PPCM Group compared with the other groups. Finally, the long-term survival of PPCM patients was comparable with the survival of men (p = 0.9), and there was a trend toward improved survival compared with the P+ Group (p = 0.07) and improved survival compared with the P- Group (p = 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Heart transplantation for PPCM remains relatively infrequent. Survival and freedom from cardiac allograft vasculopathy in patients who receive a transplant for PPCM are no worse than in women who require a transplant for other indications, regardless of parity.
Rasmusson
Kismet D
KD
UTAH Cardiac Transplant Program, LDS Hospital, Salt Lake City, Utah 84143, USA. kismet.rasmusson@intermountainmail.org
Stehlik
Josef
J
Brown
Robert N
RN
Renlund
Dale G
DG
Wagoner
Lynne E
LE
Torre-Amione
Guillermo
G
Folsom
Jan W
JW
Silber
David H
DH
Kirklin
James K
JK
D000328:Adult; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006084:Graft Rejection; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000601:surgery*; D012042:Registries; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data