Cardiac surgery is successful in heart transplant recipients.
BACKGROUND
Improved survival of heart transplant (HTx) recipients and increased acceptance of higher risk donors allows development of late pathology. However, there are few data to guide surgical options. We evaluated short-term outcomes and mortality to guide pre-operative assessment, planning, and post-operative care.


METHODS
Single centre, retrospective review of 912 patients who underwent HTx from February 1984 - June 2012, identified 22 patients who underwent subsequent cardiac surgery. Data are presented as median (IQR).


RESULTS
Indications for surgery were coronary allograft vasculopathy (CAV) (n=10), valvular disease (n=6), infection (n=3), ascending aortic aneurysm (n=1), and constrictive pericarditis (n=2). There was one intraoperative death (myocardial infarction). Hospital stay was 10 (8-21) days. Four patients (18%) returned to theatre for complications. After cardiac surgery, survival at one, five and 10 years was 91±6%, 79±10% and 59±15% with a follow-up of 4.6 (1.7-10.2) years. High pre-operative creatinine was a univariate risk factor for mortality, HR=1.028, (95%CI 1.00-1.056; p=0.05). A time dependent Cox proportional hazards model of the risk of cardiac surgery post-HTx showed no significant hazard; HR=0.87 (95%CI 0.37-2.00; p=0.74).


CONCLUSIONS
Our experience shows cardiac surgery post-HTx is associated with low mortality, and confirms that cardiac surgery is appropriate for selected HTx recipients.
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia. Electronic address: trholmes8@gmail.com.
Timothy R
TR
Holmes
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Paul C
PC
Jansz
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Phillip
P
Spratt
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Peter S
PS
Macdonald
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Kumud
K
Dhital
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Christopher
C
Hayward
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Grace T
GT
Arndt
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Anne
A
Keogh
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Joanna
J
Hatzistergos
The Heart and Lung Transplant Unit, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia.
Emily
E
Granger
D000328:Adult; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
Cardiac surgical procedures; Heart transplantation; Mortality; Reoperation; Treatment outcome.