Extended Donor Criteria Outcomes in Adult Congenital Heart Disease Patients Undergoing Heart Transplantation in the United States.

Background

There are very few published outcomes for the use of extended criteria donor (ECD) organs in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. We investigated outcomes with the use of ECD organs in this population. We hypothesized that ECD organs may be safely used in this population in patients who are younger and carry less vascular and renal disease than the general cardiac transplant population.

Methods

United Network of Organ Sharing data from all ACHD heart transplant recipients between October 18, 2018, and September 30, 2023, was analyzed. Patients were grouped by ECD transplantation. The primary outcome of interest was one-year survival. Secondary outcomes included length of stay, posttransplant stroke, retransplantation, kidney transplantation, dialysis, pacemaker implantation, and rejection.

Results

Extended criteria donor organs were utilized in 39.1% (200/512) of ACHD heart transplantation cases. There was marked regional variation in the use of ECD organs. Extended criteria donor criteria in this population were solely met by ischemic time ≥4 h in 89.5% (179/200) of cases. Transplantation with ECD donors was associated with lower survival (one-year survival 82.76% vs 90.62%). A multivariate Cox regression analysis suggested a hazard ratio of 1.96 with the use of these organs.

Conclusion

Compared with organs accepted under traditional donor criteria, ECD organs appear to compromise short- and long-term survival in ACHD transplant candidates.