Use of sildenafil in heart transplant recipients with pulmonary hypertension may prevent right heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
We performed a short-term outcome analysis of orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) treated perioperatively with oral sildenafil.


METHODS
PH (pulmonary vascular resistance > 2.5 Wood units, and/or transpulmonary gradient > 12 mmHg) was diagnosed in 6 of 25 (group A) heart transplant recipients operated in 2006. This group of patients underwent a modified medication protocol including perioperative administration of oral sildenafil: 50 mg before followed by 50 or 25 mg TID after heart transplantation. Sildenafil treatment was discontinued 10 to 14 days post OHT, after stepwise dose reduction. During the ICU stay all patients underwent circulatory monitoring of pulmonary and systemic pressures and resistance as well as transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) evaluation.


RESULTS
Perioperative oral sildenafil administration in PH patients undergoing OHT was associated with good short-term outcomes in the majority of transplanted patients (4/6). Sildenafil treatment reduced pulmonary resistance and pressures with a low rate of hemodynamic instability among OHT patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacologic perioperative reduction of PH improves the short-term prognosis for successful OHT. One may speculate whether sildenafil treatment transplant recipients with PH would be associated with long-term improvement of pulmonary vascular status, therefore leading to extended life-expectancy and improved outcomes.
Maruszewski
M
M
Department of Cardiac Surgery and Transplantation, Silesian Center for Heart Disease, Zabrze, Poland. marucha@mp.pl
Zakliczyński
M
M
Przybylski
R
R
Kucewicz-Czech
E
E
Zembala
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D011687:Purines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate