title: Heart transplantation in the elderly patients: midterm results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart transplantation in elderly patients has raised concerns because of co-morbidities and limited life expectancy in the era of donor shortage. We examined the outcomes after heart transplantation in elderly patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From March 1994 to December 2011, 81 patients (male:female=64:17, 49.1±14.0 years) underwent heart transplantation. The outcomes after heart transplantation in the younger patients (<60 years; group Y, n=60) were compared with those in the elderly patients (≥60 years; group O, n=21). The follow-up duration was 51.8±62.7 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early mortality (≤30 days) occurred in 5.0% (3/60) and 4.8% (1/21) of groups Y and O, respectively (p>0.999). There were no differences in overall survival between the two groups (p=0.201). Freedom from rejection was higher in group O than in group Y (p=0.026). Multivariable analysis revealed that age ≥60 years was not a significant risk factor for long-term survival; postoperative renal failure was the only significant risk factor for long-term survival (p=0.011).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early and mid-term results of heart transplantation in elderly patients were similar to those in younger patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yeom
authors.forename: Ho Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Se-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Hyun-Jai
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hae-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ki-Bong
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Elderly; Heart transplantation; Outcome assessment