Heart transplantations at the Heart Center IKEM, Prague, Czech Republic

Clin Transpl. 2012:135-43.

Abstract

The heart transplant program at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague was established on January 31, 1984. Through November 2012, 881 orthotopic cardiac transplantations have been performed, with an annual rate of about 40 procedures. Current legislation concerning solid organ transplantations in the Czech Republic is described. Like other centers, we have noticed an increasing age of donors, and, reflecting the shortage of grafts, we have expanded our selection criteria for heart transplantation. The advent of a mechanical circulatory support program at our center in April 2003 has given us another valuable tool in the management of chronic heart failure patients. Currently, around half of our patients are transplanted from mechanical support. Nonischemic etiology of heart failure is a leading cause of transplantation at our center, followed by ischemic cardiomyopathy, valvular heart lesions, and adult congenital heart diseases. Our current immunosupression protocol, including induction therapy, is outlined in detail and survival rates, as well as most common complications and our treatment strategies, are also discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Academic Medical Centers / statistics & numerical data*
  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Atherosclerosis / epidemiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Czech Republic / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Graft Rejection / epidemiology
  • Graft Rejection / mortality
  • Graft Rejection / therapy
  • Heart Failure / epidemiology*
  • Heart Failure / mortality
  • Heart Failure / surgery*
  • Heart Transplantation / mortality
  • Heart Transplantation / statistics & numerical data*
  • Heart Transplantation / trends*
  • Heart-Assist Devices / statistics & numerical data*
  • Heart-Assist Devices / trends
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infections / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Patient Selection
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement / statistics & numerical data
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement / trends
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Young Adult