Thoracic organ transplantation in children - The Sahlgrenska University Hospital experience

On the basis of the experience acquired from more than 350 thoracic organ t ransplantations in adults, the outcome of thoracic organ transplantations i n the paediatric age group (0-17 years of age) performed consecutively from 1989 to 1998 at our centre was reviewed. Heart transplantation was perform ed in 27 patients, heart-lung in 6 and bilateral lung transplantation in 2 patients. The preoperative diagnosis included dilated cardiomyopathy in 17 patients, congenital heart defects in 8, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in 2, cystic fibrosis in 1 and secondary and primary pulmonary hypertension in 5 and 2 patients, respectively. The median age at transplantation and the fol low-up period were 12.7, range 0.3-18.2, and 4, range 0.1-9.2 years, respec tively. No early deaths occurred after heart transplantation, but one patie nt died of coronary artery disease 4.8 years after transplantation. One ear ly death occurred one week after heart-lung transplantation as a result of bleeding complications, and another patient died of obliterative bronchioli tis and pulmonary infection 2.5 years after surgery. The remaining patients are alive and have been functionally rehabilitated. In conclusion, despite a relatively small centre volume, paediatric thoracic organ transplantatio ns can be performed with good short- and medium term survival and good func tional status can be achieved by deriving knowledge and experience from tra nsplantations in adults and by collaboration between the various profession als involved in the caring process.