Trends in patient selection for heart transplantation

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to review specific outcomes of patient referrals and the utility of selection criteria for heart transplantation at a single transplant center and to assess important trends over a 5-year period. Background. Although patient selection criteria are important for the clinical success of heart transplantation and the optimal utilization of the limited supply of donor organs, there are few data regarding actual outcomes and whether selection criteria are facilitating the identification of the most appropriate patients. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 511 consecutive referrals of adult patients with heart failure from January 1, 1987 to December 31,1991. Patients were followed up to one of five end points: 1) acceptance onto the transplant waiting list, 2) rejection from the transplant waiting list, 3) death, 4) referral to another program, and 5) still pending evaluation. Results. Of the 511 referred patients, 221 (43%) were accepted onto the waiting list, 222 (43%) were rejected, 39 (8%) died before the evaluation was completed, 15 (3%) were referred to another program and 14 (3%) are still pending evaluation. The rates for acceptance and rejection each year ranged between 30% and 51 % and there were no consistent trends in the acceptance/rejection ratio from 1987 to 1991. Of the 221 patients accepted onto the waiting list, 115 (52%) underwent transplantation, 50 (22%) died, 12 (5%) were removed from the list because of clinical improvement, 9 (4%) were referred to another program and 35 (16%) are still on the waiting list. The continuing shortage of donor organs resulted in a marked increase in the size of the waiting list from 12.6 patients in 1987 to 36.5 in 1991, as well as a marked increase in the time on the waiting list before transplantation. Over 5 years, 50 patients were considered "too well" for transplantation (23% of all rejections). Of these 50 patients, 43 (86%) are alive and 7 were lost to follow-up during a mean period of 28.6 months (range 4 to 62). All 12 patients who were taken off the active transplant list because of improvement in symptoms, ejection fraction or peak exercise oxygen consumption are alive with a mean follow-up period of 27.7 months (range 11 to 61). Conclusions. These data confirm the fact that transplant referrals are a selected group of patients with a high mortality rate, as 8% died before the evaluation could be completed and 22% died while waiting for a suitable donor organ. Furthermore, patient selection criteria are able to identify a small subset of patients with a low mortality risk as patients who were rejected because they were too well or taken off the list for clinical improvement have a reasonably good prognosis.