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. 2014 Nov;3(3):149-55.
doi: 10.15420/aer.2014.3.3.149. Epub 2014 Nov 29.

Arrhythmias in the Heart Transplant Patient

David Hamon  1 , Jane Taleski  2 , Marmar Vaseghi  1 , Kalyanam Shivkumar  1 , Noel G Boyle  1
Affiliations

Arrhythmias in the Heart Transplant Patient

David Hamon et al. Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev. 2014 Nov.

Abstract

Orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) is currently the most effective long-term therapy for patients with end-stage cardiac disease, even as left ventricular devices show markedly improved outcomes. As surgical techniques and immunosuppressive regimens have been refined, short-term mortality caused by sepsis has decreased, while morbidity caused by repeated rejection episodes and vasculopathy has increased, and is often manifested by arrhythmias. These chronic transplant complications require early and aggressive multidisciplinary treatment. Understanding the relationship between arrhythmias and these complications in the acute and chronic stages following OHT is critical in improving patient prognosis, as arrhythmias may be the earliest or sole presentation. Finally, decentralised/ denervated hearts represent a unique opportunity to investigate the underlying mechanisms of arrhythmias.

Keywords: Orthotopic heart transplantation; arrhythmias; bradyarrhythmia; graft rejection; sudden cardiac death; transplant vasculopathy.

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Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:. Left Macro-reentrant Scar-related Atrial Tachycardia
Figure 2:
Figure 2:. Management of Atrial Arrhythmias after Orthotopic Heart Transplantation
Figure 3:
Figure 3:. Management of Post-operative Bradycardia
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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