Pediatric Heart Transplantation Questions & Answers

1. Singh TP, Cherikh WS, Hsich E, Chambers DC, Harhay MO, Hayes D Jr, et al. The International Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: Twenty-fourth pediatric heart transplantation report - 2021; focus on recipient characteristics. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2021 Oct. 40 (10):1050-1059. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

2. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. National Data. Available at https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/data/view-data-reports/national-data/#. June 26, 2022; Accessed: June 30, 2022.

3. Hsu DT, Lamour JM. Changing indications for pediatric heart transplantation: complex congenital heart disease. Circulation. 2015 Jan 6. 131 (1):91-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

4. Barnard CN. The operation. A human cardiac transplant: an interim report of a successful operation performed at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. S Afr Med J. 1967 Dec 30. 41 (48):1271-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

5. Kantrowitz A, Haller JD, Joos H, Cerruti MM, Carstensen HE. Transplantation of the heart in an infant and an adult. Am J Cardiol. 1968 Dec. 22 (6):782-90. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

6. Bailey LL. The evolution of infant heart transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2009 Dec. 28 (12):1241-5. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

7. Bailey LL. Origins of neonatal heart transplantation: an historical perspective. Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Pediatr Card Surg Annu. 2011. 14 (1):98-100. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

8. Bailey LL, Nehlsen-Cannarella SL, Concepcion W, Jolley WB. Baboon-to-human cardiac xenotransplantation in a neonate. JAMA. 1985 Dec 20. 254 (23):3321-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

9. [Guideline] Canter CE, Shaddy RE, Bernstein D, et al. Indications for heart transplantation in pediatric heart disease: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young; the Councils on Clinical Cardiology, Cardiovascular Nursing, and Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; and the Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Interdisciplinary Working Group. Circulation. 2007 Feb 6. 115(5):658-76. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

10. Webber SA, Lipshultz SE, Sleeper LA, Lu M, Wilkinson JD, Addonizio LJ, et al. Outcomes of restrictive cardiomyopathy in childhood and the influence of phenotype: a report from the Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry. Circulation. 2012 Sep 4. 126 (10):1237-44. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

11. Fenton MJ, Chubb H, McMahon AM, et al. Heart and heart-lung transplantation for idiopathic restrictive cardiomyopathy in children. Heart. 2006 Jan. 92(1):85-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

12. Chrisant MR, Naftel DC, Drummond-Webb J, et al. Fate of infants with hypoplastic left heart syndrome listed for cardiac transplantation: a multicenter study. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005 May. 24(5):576-82. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

13. Reinhartz O, Maeda K, Reitz BA, Bernstein D, Luikart H, Rosenthal DN, et al. Changes in Risk Profile Over Time in the Population of a Pediatric Heart Transplant Program. Ann Thorac Surg. 2015 Sep. 100 (3):989-94; discussion 995. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

14. Alsoufi B, Deshpande S, McCracken C, Kogon B, Vincent R, Mahle W, et al. Outcomes and risk factors for heart transplantation in children with congenital heart disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2015 Dec. 150 (6):1455-62.e3. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

15. Godown J, Donohue JE, Yu S, Friedland-Little JM, Gajarski RJ, Schumacher KR. Differential effect of body mass index on pediatric heart transplant outcomes based on diagnosis. Pediatr Transplant. 2014 Nov. 18(7):771-6. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

16. Simpson KE, Pruitt E, Kirklin JK, Naftel DC, Singh RK, Edens RE, et al. Fontan Patient Survival After Pediatric Heart Transplantation Has Improved in the Current Era. Ann Thorac Surg. 2017 Apr. 103 (4):1315-1320. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

17. Cohen A, Addonizio LJ, Softness B, et al. Growth and skeletal maturation after pediatric cardiac transplantation. Pediatr Transplant. 2004 Apr. 8(2):126-35. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

18. Conway J, Manlhiot C, Kirk R, Edwards LB, McCrindle BW, Dipchand AI. Mortality and morbidity after retransplantation after primary heart transplant in childhood: an analysis from the registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2014 Mar. 33 (3):241-51. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

19. Issitt R, Booth J, Crook R, Robertson A, Molyneux V, Richardson R, et al. Intraoperative anti-A/B immunoadsorption is associated with significantly reduced blood product utilization with similar outcomes in pediatric ABO-incompatible heart transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2021 Nov. 40 (11):1433-1442. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

20. Yarlagadda VV, Maeda K, Zhang Y, Chen S, Dykes JC, Gowen MA, et al. Temporary Circulatory Support in U.S. Children Awaiting Heart Transplantation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017 Oct 31. 70 (18):2250-2260. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

21. Yang JY, Sarwal MM. Transplant genetics and genomics. Nat Rev Genet. 2017 May. 18 (5):309-326. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

22. Kolsrud O, Ricksten SE, Holmberg E, Felldin M, Karason K, Hammarsten O, et al. Measured and not estimated glomerular filtration rate should be used to assess renal function in heart transplant recipients. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2016 Jul. 31 (7):1182-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

23. Masarone D, Valente F, Rubino M, Vastarella R, Gravino R, Rea A, et al. Pediatric Heart Failure: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Management. Pediatr Neonatol. 2017 Aug. 58 (4):303-312. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

24. Moll S, Pascual M. Humoral rejection of organ allografts. Am J Transplant. 2005 Nov. 5(11):2611-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

25. Das B, Shoemaker L, Recto M, Austin E, Dowling R. Alemtuzumab (Campath-1H) induction in a pediatric heart transplant: successful outcome and rationale for its use. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2008 Feb. 27(2):242-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

26. Di Filippo S, Boissonnat P, Sassolas F, et al. Rabbit antithymocyte globulin as induction immunotherapy in pediatric heart transplantation. Transplantation. 2003 Feb 15. 75(3):354-8. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

27. Pollock-Barziv SM, Dipchand AI, McCrindle BW, Nalli N, West LJ. Randomized clinical trial of tacrolimus- vs cyclosporine-based immunosuppression in pediatric heart transplantation: preliminary results at 15-month follow-up. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005 Feb. 24 (2):190-4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

28. Prograf (tacrolimus) [package insert]. Astellas Pharma. February 2012. Available at [Full Text].

29. Eisen HJ, Kobashigawa J, Keogh A, et al. Three-year results of a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial of mycophenolate mofetil versus azathioprine in cardiac transplant recipients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005 May. 24(5):517-25. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

30. Morrow WR, Parker JG, Naftel DC. Adjunctive mycophenolate vs. azathioprine for prevention of rejection in pediatric heart transplant recipients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005. 24(2S):S113.

31. Rossano JW, Jefferies JL, Pahl E, Naftel DC, Pruitt E, Lupton K, et al. Use of sirolimus in pediatric heart transplant patients: A multi-institutional study from the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study Group. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2016 Oct 4. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

32. Barr ML, Meiser BM, Eisen HJ, et al. Photopheresis for the prevention of rejection in cardiac transplantation. Photopheresis Transplantation Study Group. N Engl J Med. 1998 Dec 10. 339(24):1744-51. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

33. Kindel SJ, Law YM, Chin C, Burch M, Kirklin JK, Naftel DC, et al. Improved Detection of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy: A Multi-Institutional Analysis of Functional Parameters in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Aug 4. 66 (5):547-57. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

34. Behera SK, Trang J, Feeley BT, Levi DS, Alejos JC, Drant S. The use of Doppler tissue imaging to predict cellular and antibody-mediated rejection in pediatric heart transplant recipients. Pediatr Transplant. 2008 Mar. 12(2):207-14. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

35. Bennhagen RG, Sornmo L, Pahlm O, Pesonen E. Serial signal-averaged electrocardiography in children after cardiac transplantation. Pediatr Transplant. 2005 Dec. 9(6):773-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

36. Stewart S, Winters GL, Fishbein MC, et al. Revision of the 1990 working formulation for the standardization of nomenclature in the diagnosis of heart rejection. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005 Nov. 24(11):1710-20. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

37. Balfour IC, Fiore A, Graff RJ, Knutsen AP. Use of rituximab to decrease panel-reactive antibodies. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2005 May. 24(5):628-30. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

38. Zaoutis TE, Webber S, Naftel DC, Chrisant MA, Kaufman B, Pearce FB, et al. Invasive fungal infections in pediatric heart transplant recipients: incidence, risk factors, and outcomes. Pediatr Transplant. 2011 Aug. 15 (5):465-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

39. [Guideline] Costanzo MR, Dipchand A, Starling R, et al; International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation Guidelines. The International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation Guidelines for the care of heart transplant recipients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2010 Aug. 29 (8):914-56. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

40. Katz BZ, Pahl E, Crawford SE, et al. Case-control study of risk factors for the development of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease in a pediatric heart transplant cohort. Pediatr Transplant. 2007 Feb. 11(1):58-65. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

41. Webber SA, Naftel DC, Fricker FJ, et al. Lymphoproliferative disorders after paediatric heart transplantation: a multi-institutional study. Lancet. 2006 Jan 21. 367(9506):233-9. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

42. Choquet S, Varnous S, Deback C, Golmard JL, Leblond V. Adapted treatment of Epstein-Barr virus infection to prevent posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder after heart transplantation. Am J Transplant. 2014 Apr. 14 (4):857-66. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

43. Ishida J, Kinugawa K, Shiga T, Imamura T, Hatano M, Maki H, et al. Rapidly progressive cardiac allograft vasculopathy in early onset regressed with everolimus treatment in an adult cardiac recipient. Int Heart J. 2012. 53 (6):388-90. [QxMD MEDLINE Link]. [Full Text].

44. Balfour IC, Srun SW, Wood EG, Belsha CW, Marshall DL, Ferdman BR. Early renal benefit of rapamycin combined with reduced calcineurin inhibitor dose in pediatric heart transplantation patients. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2006 May. 25(5):518-22. [QxMD MEDLINE Link].

Matthew Bock, MD, FAAP Medical Director, Pediatric Heart Transplant Program, Loma Linda University Children's Hospital

Matthew Bock, MD, FAAP is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Richard E Chinnock, MD, MSc, FAAP, FACHE, CPE Chief Medical Officer, Transplant Pediatrician, Pediatric Heart Transplant Program, Loma Linda University Children's Hospital; Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University School of Medicine

Richard E Chinnock, MD, MSc, FAAP, FACHE, CPE is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Healthcare Executives, American Pediatric Society, American Society of Transplantation, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Society for Pediatric Research, Transplantation Society, Western Society for Pediatric Research

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Richard G Ohye, MD Head, Division of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery; Program Director, Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Fellowship, University of Michigan Medical Center

Richard G Ohye, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American College of Cardiology, American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery, Congenital Heart Surgeons Society, International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and Society of University Surgeons

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Mary L Windle, PharmD Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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