Trends and outcomes of heart transplantation in adults with congenital heart disease

OBJECTIVES

Heart transplantation for adult congenital heart disease is complicated and associated with challenging pretransplant support, long waiting and high early post-transplant mortality. We explored if surgical and medical advances and allocation system changes have affected outcomes.

METHODS

From United Network for Organ Sharing database, adults with congenital heart disease listed for heart transplantation were queried. To explore practice and outcome trends, patients were divided into 4 eras (eras 1-3: nearly 3 equal periods from 1992 to 2018, era 4: after 2018, corresponding with new allocation system). Univariate and multivariable analysis was performed to evaluate outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 2737 patients were listed. There was gradual increase in listed and transplanted patients, along with significant increase in use of mechanical support, simultaneous kidney and liver transplantation. While proportion of transplanted remained constant, there was decrease in proportion delisted/died after listing (P = 0.01) and waiting list duration (P = 0.01), especially in era 4. Thirty-day post-transplant mortality remains high; however, it has significantly improved starting era 3 (P = 0.01). Current survival at 1-year and 5-years is 85% and 65%, with improvement mainly related to decreased early death. On multivariable analysis, factors associated with survival were lower glomerular filtration rate (hazard ratio = 0.99, P = 0.042), bilirubin (hazard ratio = 1.17, P<0.001) and mechanical ventilation (hazard ratio = 2.3, P=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

Heart transplantation in adults with congenital heart disease is increasing, along with added complexity, higher usage of pretransplant mechanical support and simultaneous organ transplantation. Despite that, more complex patients do not experience worse outcomes. Early mortality improved but remains high. New donor allocation system allowed shorter waiting time and higher proportion transplanted without altering early mortality.

Left ventricular assist device explantation after myocardial recovery

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) treatment may lead to reverse remodeling in heart failure patients. Selected patients can recover heart function and be eligible for LVAD explantation. Surgical methods for explanting an LVAD have been reported using various surgical accesses and different degrees of retained device material. We report a surgical technique for achieving a complete pump removal, with an emphasis on the technical details of inflow and outflow pump cannula management.

Clinical, molecular, and genomic changes in response to a left ventricular assist device

The use of left ventricular assist devices in treating patients with end-stage heart failure has increased significantly in recent years, both as a bridge to transplantation and as destination therapy in those who are ineligible for cardiac transplantation. This increase is based largely on the results of several recently completed clinical trials with the new second-generation continuous-flow devices that showed significant improvements in survival, functional capacity, and quality of life. Additional information on the use of the first- and second-generation left ventricular assist devices has come from a recently released report spanning the years 2006 to 2009, from the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support, a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored collaboration between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the scientific community. The authors review the latest clinical trials and data from the registry, with tight integration of the landmark molecular, cellular, and genomic research that accompanies the reverse remodeling of the human heart in response to a left ventricular assist device and functional recovery that has been reported in a subset of these patients.

The total artificial heart

In the 1960s, cardiac surgeons and biomedical engineers pioneered the development of total artificial hearts (TAH) for the treatment of left and right heart failure. As we mark the 10th anniversary of the first implantation of the AbioCor device, the use of TAH has been limited, having failed to reach its envisioned potential and promise as an alternative therapy to heart transplantation. The Syncardia/CardioWest device, originally developed 30 years ago as the Jarvik TAH and later renamed the CardioWest TAH, continues to be used clinically in over 50 centers within the US and Europe having supported over 900 patients worldwide. Syncardia continues to develop TAH technology as evidenced by their recent introduction of a new portable pneumatic driver that enables patients to be discharged from the hospital. In contrast to TAH devices, continuous flow ventricular assist devices (VAD) have made tremendous technological strides and are rapidly gaining widespread clinical acceptance. The VAD technology has demonstrated extraordinary safety and reliability records through evolving technologies, advanced biocompatible materials, and improved patient management. Subsequently, the number of TAH implantations remains low compared to the growth in LVAD implants. Nonetheless, the Syncardia/CardioWest TAH remains an important and viable option for patients with severe biventricular failure and end organ dysfunction. Overall, a 79% survival rate has been achieved in patients supported with a Syncardia/CardioWest TAH as bridge-to-transplantation. In this review article, a brief history on the evolution of TAH devices, their current use and emerging use of evolving continuous flow VAD technology as chronic biventricular and TAH device systems are presented.

Disease severity and family history in keratoconus

BACKGROUND/AIMS

To determine if disease severity is associated with a family history of keratoconus.

METHODS

Markers of disease severity in the CLEK Study cohort were assessed to determine if they could discriminate individuals with and without family history. Logistic regression was used to examine association between corneal scarring, average corneal power, flat and steep keratometry readings, and higher-order root mean square (RMS) wavefront error with family history.

RESULTS

In univariate analyses, none of the severity indices had any significant associations with family history; however, contact lens use, gender, and Caucasian race were found to be significant predictors. After controlling for these confounders, there were no significant associations between any severity indices and family history.

CONCLUSIONS

Presence or absence of family history is not associated with more severe clinical disease, at least when each marker for severity is considered independently. The results of this analysis are important for genetic studies of keratoconus in that it will allow recruitment of keratoconus patients across all stages of disease severity because it does not influence familial aggregation.

Current and potential applications of left ventricular assist devices

The syndrome of heart failure is epidemic, causing increased hospital admissions, poor survival rates, and a dismal quality of life. Treatment choices include pharmacologic, psychological, and surgical interventions. Recent data suggest that mechanical heart pumps, or assist devices, are viable additions or alternatives to transplantation in management of advanced heart failure. A ventricular assist device (VAD) can support the circulation when the natural heart is unable to maintain adequate perfusion. Although its use continues to be explored, VADs can be used in three ways: as a bridge to transplantation, as a destination therapy (or implanted permanently), or as a bridge to recovery. As VAD science advances, nurses will needs to understand its practice implications.