Combined heart and lung transplantation.

Combined heart and lung transplantation was carried out in ten patients at Stanford University Medical Center between March, 1981, and December, 1982. All patients had end-stage pulmonary hypertension. 7 of them had Eisenmenger's syndrome and 3 primary pulmonary hypertension. 3 patients died within a month of operation, but the remaining recipients are well 2 months to 2 years after transplantation. The hospital stay of the survivors ranged from 38 to 85 days. All survivors have returned to normal activity. The results of heart and lung transplantation have thus been considerably superior to those reported previously for lung transplantation. It is suggested that cardiopulmonary replacement is suitable treatment for end-stage pulmonary hypertension with or without associated congenital heart disease and that its application to other forms of advanced pulmonary failure may be warranted.