Heart transplantation in the young and elderly.

INTRODUCTION

Heart transplantation has become an acceptable treatment in pediatric patients with end-stage heart disease and complex congenital heart disease. The liberalization of recipient eligibility criteria, mainly age, along with the expansion of the donor pool has resulted in the acceptable transplantation of older recipients.

METHODS

Between July 1994 and June 1998, 39 pediatric patients aged 16 days to 17.6 years (median 6.68 years) and 123 elderly patients aged 60 to 74.8 years (median 64.1 years) were transplanted at our institution. In the pediatric group, 19 had idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (46 %), 14 had congenital heart disease (34 %), 4 had other etiologies of cardiomyopathy (10 %), 2 had transplant coronary artery disease (TCAD) (5 %), and 1 each had acute rejection and graft failure. In the elderly group, 71 had ischemic cardiomyopathy (58 %), 38 had DCM (31 %), 9 had other forms of cardiomyopathy (7 %), and 5 had TCAD (4 %).

RESULTS

Thirty-day, 1-year, and 4-year survival was 97.4 %, 87.2 %, and 70.9 % for the pediatric group and 92.7 %, 81.3 %, and 79.3 % for the elderly group. One and 4-year freedom from TCAD was 100.0 % and 85.3 % for the pediatric group and 91.9 % and 83.3 % for the elderly group.

CONCLUSIONS

[emsp3 ]Orthotopic heart transplantation is effective for the treatment of irreparable congenital and end-stage heart disease. It provides excellent long-term results in both the very young and elderly.