The effect of age, diagnosis, and previous surgery in children and adults undergoing heart transplantation for congenital heart disease.

OBJECTIVES

We sought to evaluate the outcomes and identify risk factors for mortality after heart transplantation (HT) for congenital heart disease (CHD) in infants, children, and adults.

BACKGROUND

CHD is considered a risk factor for mortality after HT, yet this unique group of patients represents a spectrum of complexity.

METHODS

There were 488 patients transplanted for CHD from the combined Pediatric Heart Transplant Study (1993 to 2002, n = 367) and the Cardiac Transplant Registry Database (1990 to 2002, n = 121) who were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median age at HT was 12.4 years. Primary diagnosis included single ventricle (36%), d-transposition of the great arteries (12%), right ventricular outflow tract lesions (10%), l-transposition of the great arteries (8%), ventricular/atrial septal defects (8%), left ventricular outflow obstruction (8%), and other (18%). Ninety-three percent of patients had at least 1 operation before HT. Survival at 3 months post-HT was significantly worse in CHD patients versus children with cardiomyopathy, but not adults with cardiomyopathy (86%, 94%, and 91%, respectively). There was no difference in conditional 3-month survival among the 3 groups. Five-year survival was 80%. Risk factors for early mortality were older recipient age, older donors with longer ischemic times, and pre-HT Fontan operations. Predicted survival in Fontan patients was lower (77% and 70% at 1 and 5 years) versus non-Fontan patients (88% and 81% at 1 and 5 years). Risk factors for constant phase mortality included younger recipient age, higher transpulmonary gradient, cytomegalovirus mismatch at HT, and earlier classical Glenn operation.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing transplantation for CHD have a good late survival if they survive the early post-operative period. Risk factors for reduced survival are older age at transplant and a previous Fontan operation.