Primer puente a trasplante cardiaco exitoso en Chile usando el dispositivo Heart Mate II / First successful bridge to cardiac transplantation in Chile using the Heart Mate II device. Report of one case

Implantable ventricular assist devices are an effective treatment option for end-stage heart failure patients as a bridge to cardiac transplantation, to improve the clinical condition and organ function allowing discharge from the hospital to await for transplantation. The second alternative is to use the device as destination therapy for patients with contraindications for cardiac transplantation, in whom it is maintained indefinitely. We report a 43-year-old patient, with a dilated cardiomyopathy, severe left ventricular dysfunction and advanced heart failure. A ventricular assist device Heart Mate II©, as a bridge to transplantation, was implanted to the patient in the United States. It was explanted for the first time in Chile at the National Thorax Institute. Heart transplantation was performed using the bicaval technique. Induction of immunosuppression was done with basiliximab. Generic immunosuppression was carried out with cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil and prednisone. Postoperatively the patient evolved with right femoral vein thrombosis in the femoral cannulation site, phlegmasia alba dolens, rhabdomyolysis, oliguric acute renal failure, which required renal replacement therapy, severe shock, with high requirements of vasoactive drugs and need for mechanical ventilation. He required a reoperation for hemothorax and had an Enterobacter pneumonia. After a period of serious illness, he began a gradual recovery and was discharged from the hospital after 58 days. After two years, he remains in functional class I, with a normal graft function.

Experiencia clínica con 53 trasplantes cardiacos consecutivos / Clinical experience with 53 consecutive heart transplants

Introduction: Heart transplantation is the therapy of choice for advance heart failure. Our group developed two transplant programs at Instituto Nacional del Tórax and Clínica Dávila. We report our clinical experience based on distinctive clinical policies. Patients and Methods: Fifty-three consecutive patients were transplanted between November 2008 and April 2013, representing 51% of all Chilean cases. Distinctive clinical policies include intensive donor management, generic immunosuppression and VAD (ventricular assist devices) insertion. Results: Ischemic or dilated cardiomyopathy were the main indications (23 (43%) each), age 48 ± 13 years and 48 (91%) were male. Transplant listing Status: IA 14 (26%) (VAD or 2 inotropes), IB 14 (26%) (1 inotrope) and II25 (47%) (no inotrope). Mean waiting time 70 ± 83 days. Twelve (24%) were transplanted during VAD support (median support: 36 days). Operative technique: orthotopic bicaval transplant with ischemia time: 175 ± 54 min. Operative mortality: 3 (6%), all due to right ventricular failure. Re-exploration for bleeding 2 (4%), stroke 3 (6%), mediastinitis 0 (0%), pneumonia 4 (8%), and transient dialysis 6 (11%). Mean follow-up was 21 ± 14 months. Three-year survival was 86 ± 6%. One patient died of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia and the other died suddenly (non-compliance). Freedom from rejection requiring specific therapy was 80 ± 7% at 3 years of follow-up. Four hundred eighty four endomyocardial biopsies were done: 11 (2.3%) had 2R rejection. All survivors are in NYHA (New York Heart Association) functional class I and all but one have normal biventricular function. Conclusion: Mid-term results are similar to those reported by the registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. This experience has a higher proportion of VAD support than previous national series. Rejection rates are low in spite of generic immunosuppression.