DONOR-TRANSMITTED CORONARY ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Abstract

Aim . To estimate opportunities, prospects and safety of using heart transplants from aged donors who are at high risk of coronary atherosclerosis. Materials and methods . Over the period from March 1987 to May 2014 450 heart transplantations (HTx) were performed in V.I.Shumakov Federal Research Center of Transplantology and Artifi cial Organs. During the fi rst month after HTx coronarography was made to 152 (37,8%) recipients in order to exclude/confi rm donor-transmitted coronary atherosclerosis (DTCA) and to identify tactics of treatment. Coronary atherosclerosis was detected among 16 patients (3,6% of total number of HTx), 15 (93,8%) men and 1 (6,2%) women. Mean age of recipients with DTCA at the moment of HTx was 48,3 ± 13,1 years. Results. Hemodynamically relevant coronary atherosclerosis was not detected and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was not made in the group of patients with the mean age of 42,24 ± 8,91 years. Using heart transplants from aged donors is connected with increasing risk of DTCA among the recipients. DTCA-dependent PCI is not connected with coronary mortality. Actuarial survival rate of patients who underwent PCI is comparable with the same one in the total population of HTx recipients and is equal to 87,5% at 5 years and less. Conclusion . Hearts from aged donors (older than 50 years) may be used for HTx with suffi cient level of safety. Due to high level of DTCA using of hearts from such donors is preferable for completing urgent HTx to recipients 1А–В UNOS.