Abstract
Since its first performance in 1967, cardiac transplantation has emerged from a medical curiosity to become the treatment of choice for advanced heart failure. Refinements in surgical technique, development of a standardized endomyocardial biopsy grading system, and the discovery of newer immunosuppressive medications have improved the outlook for today's heart-transplant recipients. For the most recent era, median survival has increased to 10 years and median survival conditional upon surviving the first transplant year is now >14 years. Quality oflife is excellent. This article will concisely review the major clinical outcomes following transplantation including survival, quality of life, immunosuppression, and short- and long-term complications.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 317-329 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine |
Volume | 79 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2012 |
Keywords
- Calcineurin inhibitors
- Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
- Endomyocardial biopsy
- Heart transplant