title: Clinical and functional capacity of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy after four years of transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate patient with cardiomyopathy's progress after cardiac transplant, by analyzing his survival, complications and cardiovascular responses after nearly four years of surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was conducted from February to May 2011, with patients undergoing cardiac transplantation at Dr. Carlos Alberto Studart Gomes Hospital - Messejana Hospital (HDM). The sample consisted of all transplanted patients in 2007 in this hospital. Initially an evaluation form developed by the researchers, which was based on collected data from patients' medical records, was applied, about trans and postoperative period. After collecting these informations, patients underwent the six-minute walk test (6WT). The marks found in walking distance were compared with reference marks expected for this population by using Enright and Sherrill's equation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From all the 24 patients who underwent cardiac transplantation in HDM in 2007, 14 were evaluated and 10 were excluded. Regarding the complications, in the trans-operatory period, the most evident was the right ventricular dysfunction (64.3%) and tachycardia (64.3%) was more evident on the postoperative period. Analyzing the 6WT it was observed a decrease of 11.6% in walking distance when compared with the estimated distance (486 ± 55 m, 550 ± 59 m, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Survival of heart transplant patients was equivalent to about 70%. The results of this study before the 6WT showed that patients' cardiovascular responses are below the estimated, nevertheless within the normal range established.
authors.affiliation: Messejana Hospital Dr. Carlos Alberto StudartGomes and University of Fortaleza, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. daniela.gardano@globo.com
authors.forename: Daniela Gardano Bucharles
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Mont'Alverne
authors.forename: Lara Maia
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Galdino
authors.forename: Marcela Cunha
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Cíntia Souto
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Glauber Gean de
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.forename: João David de
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Souza Neto
authors.forename: Juan Alberto Cosquillo
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mejía
mesh_terms: D002311:Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000209:etiology*