RESULTS OF CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION AFTER 5 YEARS

After cardiac transplantation, long-term results were assessed in a gr oup of 46 patients who survived more than 5 years after surgery. They were the survivors (50%) of a group of 92 patients who underwent trans plantation before January 1990. On January 1995, mean follow-up was 82 +/- 14 months. Quality of life was estimated satisfactory (mean score 8.4 +/- 2) : 60% of the patients were active; 89% were class NYHA I o r II. Nevertheless, several problems have been identified : rise in bo dy weight for all, over 10 kg in 31%; hypertension, renal failure, con sidered to be severe (serum creatinine > 250 mu g/l) in 26%, diabetes in 13%, osteoarthropathy in 33%, cancer in 6%, and, above all, chronic alteration of the coronary arterial bed in 53% of the patients. These problems reflect the immunological conflict and complications of immu ne-suppression.