Three decades after orthotopic heart transplantation – is it possible to live a «new» life without complications?
Abstract
Orthotopic heart transplantation is one of the main methods of surgical treatment for patients
with dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, tolerant to the drug therapy. Despite
this, many questions concerning late period after transplantation remain outside the framework of evidence-based explanations. We believe that in this problem one personalized monitoring can
replace dozens of faceless statistics and protocols to explore fundamental biological laws. In this
article we are presenting analysis of the 28-year-long follow-up of the patient after successful
orthotopic heart transplantation for dilated cardiomyopathy of mixed origin. In the discussion
the following issues are attached: the significance of histocompatibility of donor-recipient, the
efficacy and safety of moderate immunosuppression, the risk of posttransplant cardiomyopathy
and vasculopathy, as well as immunodeficiency and cancer alertness. Given unique data on electron microscopy of biopsy specimens of the affected heart almost three decades after surgery.
Keywords:dilated cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, orthotopic heart transplantation, immunosuppressive therapy, electron microscopy of the donor’s myocardium
Clin. Experiment. Surg. Petrovsky J. 2017; 5 (3): 28–33.
DOI: 10.24411/2308-1198-2017-00042
Received: 15.04.2017. Accepted: 15.06.2017.
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