Background: Adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD) may undergo heart transplantation (HTx) despite increased risk of poor short-term outcomes due to factors including surgical complexity and antibody sensitization. We assessed the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with ACHD in the current era referred for HTx at a single high-volume transplant center.
Methods: From 2010 to 2020, 37 ACHD patients were evaluated for HTx. ACHD HTx recipients were compared to non-ACHD HTx recipients matched for age, sex, listing status, and prior cardiac surgery.
Results: Of the 37 patients with ACHD, eight (21.6%) were declined for HTx. Of 29 ACHD patients listed, 19 (65.5%) underwent HTx. Compared with non-ACHD HTx controls, the ACHD HTx recipients had more treated cellular (21.1% vs. 15.8%, P = .010) and antibody-mediated (15.8% vs. 10.5%, P = .033) rejection. There was no difference in hospital readmission or allograft vasculopathy at 1 year. There was a nonsignificant higher 1-year mortality in ACHD HTx recipients (21.1% vs. 7.9%, P = .21).
Conclusion: At a high-volume transplant center, ACHD patients undergoing HTx appear to have a marginally higher risk of rejection, but no significant increase in 1-year mortality. With careful selection and management, HTx for patients with ACHD may be feasible in the current era.
Keywords: congenital heart disease; desensitization; heart transplant recipient selection; heart transplant rejection.
© 2021 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.