Cardiac transplantation after donor mitral valve commissurotomy

In vivo mitral valve repair for the transplanted donor heart in orthotopic heart transplantation

A 53-year-old woman with the dilated phase of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy underwent orthotopic heart transplantation. The donor heart was evaluated as normal preoperatively without mitral regurgitation or the left atrium dilation, transplanted using the modified bicaval technique. Although the heart beat satisfactorily after aortic declamping, massive mitral regurgitation was observed without any prolapse or annular dilation. Because of the difficulty in weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass, a second aortic cross-clamp was applied, and we detached the inferior vena cava and the right side of the left atrial anastomosis to approach the mitral valve, obtaining a satisfactory exposure. No abnormalities were observed in the mitral valve leaflets, annulus or subvalvular apparatus. Subsequent in vivo mitral annuloplasty using prosthetic full ring successfully controlled the regurgitation, and the patient was easily weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. She discharged to home with good mitral valve and cardiac functions. And the patient has been doing well without any recurrence of MR or heart failure for over a year after surgery.

Donor heart selection: Evidence-based guidelines for providers

The proposed donor heart selection guidelines provide evidence-based and expert-consensus recommendations for the selection of donor hearts following brain death. These recommendations were compiled by an international panel of experts based on an extensive literature review.

Marginal donors and organ shortness: concomitant surgical procedures during heart transplantation: a literature review

Heart transplantation represents the gold standard for end-stage heart failure. However, due to the increasing demand and the shortage of available organs, donor supply remains the main limitation. Marginal donor hearts in high-risk candidates who do not meet standard listing criteria are the only alternative when life expectancy is limited, but their use is still debated. Surgical correction of detected coronary lesions or valvular heart defects allows further enlargement of the number of available organs. In this article, we offer a literature review on this topic and report two marginal donor hearts with angiography evidence of coronary stenosis and preserved ventricular function, which underwent concomitant myocardial revascularization during heart implantation.

Combined mitral valve repair and heart transplantation

In times of donor organ shortage, organs with extended allocation criteria, for example, valve pathologies, have to be taken into consideration for transplantation. The donor pool can be extended to hearts with mitral valve insufficiency. Mitral valve repair can rapidly be performed in the donor heart on the back table with excellent results.

Heart transplantation for end-stage valvular disease: indications and results

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this study is to appraise the indications of a small group of heart transplanted patients with valvular disease, to analyse both their particular issues and results compared with the etiologies of other transplanted patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Analysis of recent data shows that valvular patients represent between 3 and 5% of transplantation indications. This proportion of valvular patients had a tendency to decrease in many countries. These patients on the whole have undergone multiple reoperations. Pulmonary resistance analysis has to be especially rigorous for this group. A primary excess mortality is directly related to multiple reoperations. Mean and long-term results are then strictly comparable with other etiologies. There are a few very specific indications for recurrent endocarditis in this group.

SUMMARY

Valvular patients represent a subgroup of transplanted patients with a slight primary excess mortality but with identical long-term results.

Bench Repair of Donor Aortic Valve With Minimal Access Orthotopic Heart Transplantation

While the number of people waiting heart transplantation increases, the number of organ donors decreases. This shrinking donor pool has prompted reassessment of donor selection for heart transplantation. Bench repair of a donor aortic valve was performed before minimal access orthotopic heart transplantation. Aortic insufficiency in the structurally normal tricuspid aortic valve was due to annular dilatation and was corrected with subcommissural annular plication. The postoperative period was uneventful. Follow-up at 4.5 years showed good results and no evidence of aortic regurgitation.

Bench repair of donor mitral valve before heart transplantation

Bench repair of the donor mitral valve was performed before orthotopic heart transplantation in a 57-year-old status I recepient. Mitral regurgitation in the structurally normal mitral valve was due to annular dilatation at the attachment of the posterior leaflet and was corrected with posterior annuloplasty. The patient is clinically well 18 months after transplantation.