Thoracic organ transplantation in the paediatric age group. The Hannover experience.

Growing experience in terms of immunosuppression, recipient and donor selection as well as organ preservation has established thoracic organ transplantation as a therapeutic option for many children with end-stage cardiopulmonary diseases. While dilated cardiomyopathy and isolated myocardial failure represent the main indications for cardiac transplantation, replacement of the lungs or heart and lungs is necessitated in cystic fibrosis, primary and secondary pulmonary hypertension as well as some types of complex congenital heart defects involving the pulmonary arteries. We have performed a total of 20 heart, 4 heart-lung, 2 single lung and 1 double lung transplantation in the paediatric group up to 17 years of age. While with respect to the limited experience worldwide, early mortality after lung and heart-lung transplantation is still high (50%), long-term results in isolated cardiac transplantation using triple drug immunosuppression are excellent (79% survival after 6 years) without major impairment of renal function, arterial blood pressure, growth development and physical rehabilitation as well as social reintegration. Freedom from graft atherosclerosis of the allografted heart is documented over a 5 year follow up, while no data are available on the incidence of obliterative bronchiolitis after lung transplantation in the paediatric group. Despite only limited evidence of long-term dysfunction, diagnosis and prevention of chronic rejection should be given utmost attention to allow for a normal life span in this younger age group.