title: Twenty-Year Experience of Heart Transplantation: Early and Long-Term Results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated early and long-term results after heart transplantation (HTPL).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred five consecutive patients (male:female=80:25) who underwent HTPL between 1994 and 2013 were enrolled. Based on the changes in immunosuppressive regimen, the study patients were divided into two groups. Early and long-term clinical outcomes were evaluated and compared between the patients who underwent HTPL before (group E, n=41) and after July 2009 (group L, n=64). The group L patients were older (p<0.001), had higher incidence of hypertension (p=0.001) and chronic kidney disease (p<0.001), and more frequently needed preoperative mechanical ventilation (p=0.027) and mechanical circulatory support (p=0.014) than the group E patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall operative mortality was 3.8%, and postoperative morbidities included acute kidney injury (n=31), respiratory complications (n=16), reoperation for bleeding (n=15) and wound complications (n=10). There were no significant differences in early results except acute kidney injury between group E and group L patients. Overall survival rates at 1, 5, and 10 years were 83.8%, 67.7%, and 54.9%, respectively, with no significant difference between the two patient groups. Rejection-free rates at 1 and 5 years were 63.0% and 59.7%, respectively; rates were significantly higher in group L than in group E (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite increased preoperative comorbidities, group L patients showed similar early and long-term outcomes and significantly higher rejection-free rates when compared with group E patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital.
authors.forename: Jae-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital.
authors.forename: Sang Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yeom
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital.
authors.forename: Ho Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital.
authors.forename: Jae-Woong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Center, Seoul National University Hospital.
authors.forename: Hyun-Jai
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Center, Seoul National University Hospital.
authors.forename: Hae-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Myongji Hospital, Seonam University College of Medicine.
authors.forename: Jae-Hak
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Huh
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital.
authors.forename: Ki-Bong
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Heart; Outcome assessment; Transplantation