The Past, Present and Future of Heart Transplantation #MMPMID29968430
Kim IC; Youn JC; Kobashigawa JA
Korean Circ J 2018[Jul]; 48 (7): 565-90 PMID29968430show ga
Heart transplantation (HTx) has become standard treatment for selected patients with end-stage heart failure. Improvements in immunosuppressant, donor procurement, surgical techniques, and post-HTx care have resulted in a substantial decrease in acute allograft rejection, which had previously significantly limited survival of HTx recipients. However, limitations to long-term allograft survival exist, including rejection, infection, coronary allograft vasculopathy, and malignancy. Careful balance of immunosuppressive therapy and vigilant surveillance for complications can further improve long-term outcomes of HTx recipients.