Heart transplantation classification
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ifrah Fatima, M.B.B.S[2]
Overview
Cardiac Transplantation may be classified according to the surgical procedure performed into Orthotopic procedure and Heterotropic Procedure.
Classification
Cardiac Transplantation may be classified according to the surgical procedure performed into:
- Orthotopic Transplant
- Heterotropic Transplant
Orthotopic Heart Transplant
The orthotopic procedure begins with the surgeons performing a median sternotomy to expose the mediastinum. The pericardium is opened, the great vessels are dissected and patient is attached to cardiopulmonary bypass. The failing heart is removed by transecting the great vessels and a portion of the left atrium. The pulmonary veins are not transected; rather a circular portion of the left atrium containing the pulmonary veins is left in place. The donor heart is trimmed to fit onto the patients remaining left atrium and great vessels and sutured in place. The new heart is restarted, the patient is weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass and the chest cavity is closed.
Heterotopic Transplant
In the heterotopic procedure, the patient's own heart is not removed before implanting the donor heart. The new heart is positioned so that the chambers and blood vessels of both hearts can be connected to form what is effectively a 'double heart'. The procedure can give the patient's original heart a chance to recover, and if the donor's heart happens to fail (eg. through rejection), it may be removed, allowing the patient's original heart to start working again. Heterotopic procedures are only used in cases where the donor heart is not strong enough to function by itself (due to either the patient's body being considerably larger than the donor's, the donor having a weak heart, or the patient suffering from pulmonary hypertension).