What's new About Heart Transplantantion

pp 323-335

Abstract

The development achieved by transplantation in general, and heart transplantation in particular makes permanent update on various topics, essential. Until today, more than 31.000 transplants have been reported to the Registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. To reach this number, it has been necessary to improve on several topics, such as disponibility of donors, by improving their maintenance or widening their selection criteria. Furthermore, xenotransplant would probably contribute to paliate the limited disponibility of donors. The development of the technique implies improving the organ preservation, making possible to prolong the ischemic time and to get a better organ function once implanted. It has also been necessary to investigate new immunosuppressive drugs, to diminish rejection with the less adverse effect as possible. Finally, graft coronary disease is more frequently seen as heart transplant patients survival is prolonged, and is the most frequent cause of death during the first year after the procedure.