ABSTRACT
Background: Heart transplantations are ideal for most
patients with end-stage heart failure refractory to medical treatment.
The transplantation program at the Peruvian National Heart Institute
started with a 10-year-continuity in 2010.
Objective: To report the results of a 10-year heart
transplantation experience at the Peruvian National Heart Institute.
Methods: We studied 83 patients who underwent orthotopic
heart transplantation at a single center between January 2010 and
December 2019. The recipients’ profiles and survival were analyzed
according to sex and age group, ensuring the information’s
confidentiality.
Results: The recipients’ mean age was 41.2 ± 17 years,
88% were adult, and 68.7% were male. The main indications for
transplantation were idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. 85.5% of
recipients were clinically categorized as INTERMACS Profile 1 to 3
before transplantation. There was a significant difference between sexes
regarding the preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction and
between age groups regarding the waiting time. The average ischemia time
was 3.1 hours, operating time was 6.1 hours, cardiopulmonary bypass time
was 3 hours, and aortic cross-clamp time was 1.7 hours. The principal
early postoperative complications were hematological disorders and acute
kidney failure. The principal late ones were kidney failure and severe
anemia. The postoperative mortality was 15.9%, and the principal causes
were infection and then acute rejection. The survival at one, five, and
ten years was 87.5%, 79.8%, and 79.8%, respectively. The survival
results were not influenced by sex or age group.
Conclusion: Our patients’ postoperative complications,
mortality, and survival rates coincided with those reported by the ISHLT
registry.
Keywords: Heart transplantation, heart failure,
transplant recipients, cardiac surgery, survival.