Selection of congestive heart failure patients for heart transplant

Heart failure is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in adult patients. With the recent technological advances and the use of new medications for controlling rejection, heart transplant has been established as a definite therapeutic measure for properly selected patients with advanced congestive heart failure. As there is an active transplant program in the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, this review is intended to acquaint the practicing physician with the required work up and management of patients referred for cardiac transplant. Emphasis is given to indications, clinical and psychosocial evaluation, optimization of medical therapy and to the absolute and relative contraindications.

The experience with transcatheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardia in Puertorican adults

Data of the transcatheter radio frequency ablations for patients with supraventricular tachycardia conducted in Puerto Rico is presented. One group includes the first 100 patients performed from September 1994 to March 1997 at the Cardiovascular Center of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean and the Second group includes 157 ablations done in the year 2003. Ablations performed in the different types of supraventricular tachycardias is analyzed including success rates and complications. Results are compared to those reported in the 1998 NASPE registry. The results obtained demonstrated a high successful rate of procedures with minimal complications in both series of patients. One procedure related death occurred in the 2003 year group and none in the earlier group.