Pediatric Heart Transplantation at Stanford: Results of a 15-Year Experience

Abstract

The long-term results of pediatric heart transplantation were evaluated in 53 patients, aged 0.25 to 18.94 years, who received transplants at Stanford University Medical Center between 1974 and 1989. Indications for transplantation were idiopathic cardiomyopathy (68%), congenital heart disease (21%), endocardial fibroelastosis (8%), and doxorubicin cardiomyopathy (3%). Immunosuppression was achieved with combinations of cyclosporine, prednisone, and azathioprine. Thirty-seven of 42 recipients leaving the hospital after transplantation were alive and in New York Heart Association class I at study's end. Cumulative survival was 79% at 1 year, 76% at 3 years, and 69% at 5 years. Fourteen recipients have survived more than 5 years (5.1 to 12.4 years). Hospital readmission for illness has been infrequent, decreasing from 6.8 days to 0.9 days per year over 5 years. Eleven patients have required no rehospitalization. Posttransplant deaths were due to infection (19%), rejection (4%), pulmonary hypertension (4%), coronary artery disease (2%), and lymphoproliferative disease (2%). Retransplantation was required for intractable rejection in 4 patients and advanced coronary artery disease in 2. Hypertension and elevated blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels were common in individuals receiving cyclosporine. Growth was often impaired in prepubertal children receiving daily prednisone. Based on this 15-year experience, it is concluded that heart transplantation represents a reasonable alternative for selected young patients with end-stage cardiac disease.