Heart Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Heart Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Fresh arterial grafts as conduits for vascular reconstructions in transplanted patients.

Matia I, Adamec M, Janousek L, Lipar K, Viklicky O

Department of Transplant Surgery, Institute for Clinical and Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic. ivanmatia@gmail.com

OBJECTIVES: To assess the outcome of arterial allografts in patients receiving organ transplantation. DESIGN: From October 1997 to June 2005, we used fresh arterial allografts as vascular conduits in 21 patients for the treatment of claudications (10), abdominal aortic aneurysm (6), complicated renal transplantation (2), acute lower extremity ischemia (2) and gangrene (1). At the time of the vascular procedure, ten of the patients (Group A) had already undergone organ transplantation. The mean follow up period was 32 months for renal and 37 months for heart recipients, respectively. In 11 patients (Group B), the vascular reconstruction was undertaken simultaneously with the renal transplantation. The mean follow up period was 49 months. RESULTS: There was no arterial allograft related deaths. No signs of arterial graft infection or requirement for secondary intervention (angioplasty and/or thrombolysis) were observed during the follow up period. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience suggests that it is possible to use fresh arterial allografts in the treatment of arterial occlusive disease or abdominal aortic aneurysm, both in already transplanted patients and simultaneously with organ transplantation, with good results.

Published 10 October 2006 in Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg, 32(5): 549-56.
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