Background: The 2018 United-Network-for-Organ-Sharing (UNOS) allocation-system changes resulted in greater recognition of mechanical circulatory support (MCS), leading to more heart transplantations (HTx) in patients with MCS. We aimed to investigate the effect of the new UNOS allocation system on the need for a permanent pacemaker and associated complications following HTx.
Methods: The UNOS Registry was questioned, to identify patients that received HTx in the US between 2000 and 2021. The primary objectives were to identify risk factors for the need for a pacemaker implantation following HTx.
Results: 49,529 HTx patients were identified, 1421 (2.9%) requiring a pacemaker post-HTx. Patients who required a pacemaker were older (53.9 ± 11.5 vs. 52.6 ± 12.8 years, p < 0.001), more frequently white (73% vs. 67%; p < 0.001) and less frequently black (18% vs. 20%; p < 0.001). In the pacemaker group, UNOS status 1A (46% vs. 41%; p < 0.001) and 1B (31% vs. 27%; p < 0.001) were more prevalent, and donor age was higher (34.4 ± 12.4 vs. 31.8 ± 11.5 years; p < 0.001). One-year survival was no different between the groups (HR: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.37; p = 0.515). An era effect was observed (per year: OR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.96, 0.98; p = 0.003), while ECMO pre-transplant was associated with lower risk of a pacemaker (OR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.86; p < 0.001).
Conclusions: While associated with various patient and transplant characteristics, pacemaker implantation does not seem to impact one-year survival after HTx. The need for pacemaker implantation was lower in the more recent era and in patients who required ECMO pre-transplant, a finding explained by recent advances in perioperative care.
Keywords: ECMO; heart transplantation; pacemaker implantation; registry.