CARDIAC TRANSPLANTATION IN NEW-ZEALAND - 8 YEARS EXPERIENCE

Between December 1987 and December 1995, 62 patients underwent orthoto pic cardiac transplantation at Green Lane Hospital. Their cardiac dysf unction resulted from dilated cardiomyopathy (32), coronary artery dis ease (21), rheumatic heart disease (7), congenitally corrected transpo sition of the great arteries (1) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (1). Before transplantation all patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III or IV. Eight patients (13%) died in the p erioperative period and a further seven (11%) died 1 to 4 years after transplantation. Actuarial 1 and 3 year survival was 87% and 80% respe ctively. Forty-five of forty-seven surviving patients were in NYHA fun ctional class I at the time ol analysis. The results confirm that card iac transplantation has a limited but valuable role in the treatment o f end stage myocardial dysfunction.