Medium term results following heart transplantation for end stage heart failure: A single center experience of 257 patients

OBJECTIVE

End stage heart failure is a lethal disease with a dismal 5 year survival. Heart transplantation has proven to be a highly effective modality of treatment in appropriately selected group of such patients. This is a retrospective analysis of medium term outcomes of heart transplantation in the setting of a private health facility in India. The objective of this study was two fold.

METHODS

The outcome of 257 heart transplants done at a single centre from October 2012 to October 2019 was analyzed. Patients with combined Heart and lung transplants and those whose complete medical records were unavailable were excluded from the study. Survival was tracked at 60 days, 90 days, one year and beyond for a maximum of 7 years. Preoperative patient risk profiles were characterized on the basis of INTERMACS category.

RESULTS

There were 176 male and 81 female patients. The age range was from 8 months to 78 years with a mean of 32.9 years. Survival at 2 months was 87%, at 90 days was 83%, at one year was 81%, 2 years was 75%, at 3 years was 72% and at 5 years and beyond was 62% for the whole series. Strong predictors of 90 day mortality included INTERMACS category (odd's ratio 0.289, p = 0.000) and creatinine more than 1.5 mg/dl (odd's ratio 2.48, p = 0.056). Recipient pulmonary vascular resistance and donor organ ischemic times were not found to be statistically significant factors affecting outcome. Medium term survival was influenced by INTERMACS category (Hazard ratio > 3 for INTERMACS category 1 compared to INTERMACS 4 or 5, p < 0.0001) and creatinine > 1.5 mg/dl (Hazard ratio 2.15, p = 0.003). This effect of creatinine was related to the age of the recipient. Hazard ratio 1.4, p = 0.524 if age <30 and Hazard ratio 4.78, p = 0.006, if age was >50.

CONCLUSION

Satisfactory medium term outcome is possible after heart transplantation even in resource constrained environment of a developing country.