Partial Heart Transplant in a Neonate With Irreparable Truncal Valve Dysfunction

Importance

The treatment of neonates with irreparable heart valve dysfunction remains an unsolved problem because there are no heart valve implants that grow. Therefore, neonates with heart valve implants are committed to recurrent implant exchanges until an adult-sized valve can fit.

Objective

To deliver the first heart valve implant that grows.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Case report from a pediatric referral center, with follow-up for more than 1 year. Participants were a recipient neonate with persistent truncus arteriosus and irreparable truncal valve dysfunction and a donor neonate with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

Intervention

First-in-human transplant of the part of the heart containing the aortic and pulmonary valves.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Transplanted valve growth and hemodynamic function.

Results

Echocardiography demonstrated adaptive growth and excellent hemodynamic function of the partial heart transplant valves.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this child, partial heart transplant delivered growing heart valve implants with a good outcome at age 1 year. Partial heart transplants may improve the treatment of neonates with irreparable heart valve dysfunction.