Partial Heart Transplantation: Early Experience With Pediatric Heart Valve Replacements That Grow
Abstract
Heart valve replacement in children is fraught with long-term morbidity and mortality rates, largely because conventional implants lack the capacity to grow with the child. Partial heart transplantation presents a potential solution by transplanting only specific segments of a donor heart, thereby providing a living and growing heart valve implant. This approach harnesses the full spectrum of cardiac tissues, which, when freshly procured and supported by immunosuppression, can integrate as functional and potentially growth-capable tissue. This state-of-the-art review discusses the history and development of partial heart transplantation, its indications, recent clinical experiences, regulation, and future directions.
Article Details
Authors (5)
Neel K. Prabhu
Duke Congenital Heart Surgery Research and Training Laboratory, Duke University, Durham, NC (N.K.P., B.A., M.M.-M., D.M.O., J.W.T.).
Berk Aykut
Duke Congenital Heart Surgery Research and Training Laboratory, Duke University, Durham, NC (N.K.P., B.A., M.M.-M., D.M.O., J.W.T.).
Michael Mensah-Mamfo
Duke Congenital Heart Surgery Research and Training Laboratory, Duke University, Durham, NC (N.K.P., B.A., M.M.-M., D.M.O., J.W.T.).
Douglas M. Overbey
Congenital Heart Surgery Research and Training Laboratory, Duke University, Durham, NC
Joseph W. Turek
Congenital Heart Surgery Research and Training Laboratory, Duke University, Durham, NC