Cardiac transplantation

Abstract

Based on the Stanford series of 188 patients, we emphasize that orthotopic cardiac transplantation represents a reasonable therapeutic option for the patient with inoperable end-stage heart disease. Current expectations for survival equal those for organ survival in cadaver renal transplant series and offer a rehabilitation potential of over 90%. Most of the complications limiting survival are due to the currently available means of immunosuppression and, therefore, advances in the field of immunosuppression can be expected to have a major positive influence on survival rates.