Arrhythmias in the Heart Transplant Patient

Orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) is currently the most effective long-term therapy for patients with end-stage cardiac disease, even as left ventricular devices show markedly improved outcomes. As surgical techniques and immunosuppressive regimens have been refined, short-term mortality caused...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arrhythmia & electrophysiology review 2014-11, Vol.3 (3), p.149-155
Main Authors: Hamon, David, Taleski, Jane, Vaseghi, Marmar, Shivkumar, Kalyanam, Boyle, Noel G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ablation
Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiovascular disease
Clinical Arrhythmias
Coronary vessels
Denervation
Heart transplants
Mortality
Patients
Postoperative period
Scars
Surgery
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Summary:Orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) is currently the most effective long-term therapy for patients with end-stage cardiac disease, even as left ventricular devices show markedly improved outcomes. As surgical techniques and immunosuppressive regimens have been refined, short-term mortality caused by sepsis has decreased, while morbidity caused by repeated rejection episodes and vasculopathy has increased, and is often manifested by arrhythmias. These chronic transplant complications require early and aggressive multidisciplinary treatment. Understanding the relationship between arrhythmias and these complications in the acute and chronic stages following OHT is critical in improving patient prognosis, as arrhythmias may be the earliest or sole presentation. Finally, decentralised/ denervated hearts represent a unique opportunity to investigate the underlying mechanisms of arrhythmias.
ISSN:2050-3369
2050-3377
DOI:10.15420/aer.2014.3.3.149