The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Sep 1994
Airway stenoses after lung transplantation: management with expanding metal stents.
Success in lung transplantation has been hindered by airway complications, usually as a result of anastomotic ischemia and stenosis. We report our experience with expanding metal stents in managing airway stenoses after lung transplantation. From April 1984 through November 1993, 46 single lung, 5 double lung, and 154 heart-lung transplantations were performed at Papworth Hospital. ⋯ Two died of pneumonia despite stenting, and a third died of acute occlusion of the silicone rubber stent. Expanding metal stents are an effective treatment of airway stenoses in lung transplant recipients. Patients with suspected airway problems should be referred for early bronchoscopy with the potential for stent placement.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Sep 1994
Narrowing the organ donation gap: hospital development methods that maximize hospital donation potential.
The purpose of this article is to identify and describe this organ procurement organization's hospital development methods that have markedly increased the quantity and quality of organ donor referrals. Procedures used include the establishment of organ donor programs (hospital donor programs) within each donor hospital. The goal for these hospital donor programs is to monitor and maximize organ procurement within each institution. ⋯ In 1992, 228 referrals and 70 organ donations occurred. In the first 6 months of 1993, 146 referrals and 40 organ donations occurred, for a prorated figure of 292 referrals and 80 organ donations annually. In conclusion, these results appear to validate the benefits of this approach and its significant contribution to narrowing the donation supply and demand gap.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Sep 1994
Eleven years' experience with the Pierce-Donachy ventricular assist device.
During the last decade, mechanical circulatory support has been used in patients with cardiogenic shock refractory to conventional therapy. Since 1982, we supported 77 patients (78 implants) with Pierce-Donachy external pneumatic ventricular assist devices. Forty-two patients (35 after cardiotomy, four after heart transplantation, and three with acute infarction) 15 to 71 years of age (mean age 52 years) were supported for cardiac recovery. ⋯ Of the 15 patients who did not undergo transplantation, two were weaned and survived, whereas the remaining 13 patients (who did not undergo transplantation because of complications) died with the device in place. In the patients in the bridge to transplantation group, bleeding occurred in 26%, infection in 55%, and renal failure in 15%. In the entire group of 77 patients, the incidence of ventricular assist device-related thromboembolism was 6%, but only 4% had neurologic deficits.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Between November 1983 and September 1992, The Toronto Lung Transplant Program performed 131 lung transplantations in 122 recipients; 53 single lung transplantations and 78 double lung transplantations. Forty-five patients died, 25 (47%) in the single lung transplantation and 20 (25%) in the double lung transplantation groups. We retrospectively reviewed the hospital charts of all deceased recipients and the postmortem reports of the 35 patients (20 single lung transplantations and 15 double lung transplantations) who had autopsies. ⋯ All double lung transplantation diagnoses were made antemortem. We concluded that infection and then bronchiolitis obliterans are the primary causes of death after lung transplantation. Although infection is a major cause both early and late after transplantation, bronchiolitis obliterans is an important factor in transplantation only late after the operation.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Jul 1994
Case ReportsPhysiology of the native heart and Thermo Cardiosystems left ventricular assist device complex at rest and during exercise: implications for chronic support.
Studies of patients supported with a left ventricular assist device have considered determinants of acute survival emphasizing the role of right heart function. In patients with refractory heart failure awaiting heart transplantation, chronic left ventricular assist device implantation may provide an opportunity for rehabilitation before surgery if hemodynamics are adequate at rest and during activities of daily life. For the assessment of the efficacy of the left ventricular assist device in this setting, four patients in whom the HeartMate pneumatic left ventricular assist device had been implanted were tested during graded supine bicycle exercise with Doppler echocardiography interrogation and central hemodynamic measurements. ⋯ When residual left ventricular function is sufficient, hemodynamics with exercise may be limited by peak left ventricular assist device rate. Although right ventricular function may affect acute postoperative survival, residual left ventricular function and peak left ventricular assist device rate may be important determinants of exercise performance during chronic implantation. A preliminary model of factors affecting the "left ventricular-left ventricular assist device complex" performance at rest and during exercise is presented.