Nearly a year after the operation, American doctors reported the success of the first partial heart transplant on a baby.
- In 2022, a baby benefited, for the first time, from a partial heart transplant.
- In a recent study, the doctors behind the procedure revealed that the valves and arteries had developed along with the young patient’s organs.
- Since this first procedure, thirteen partial heart transplants have been performed worldwide.
This is a major revolution for heart transplants. In the spring of 2022, doctors at Duke Health (USA) performed the first partial heart transplant on a baby, who needed heart valve replacement. They recently revealed that the valves and arteries had developed well along with the organs and body of the young patient. Their work was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Partial heart transplantation allows reduction of doses of immunosuppressants
In the context of heart valve replacement, the classic procedure is to use non-living valves, which will not change with the child. However, this procedure requires frequent replacements and surgeries with a mortality rate of 50%.
In this innovative surgery, American specialists fused valves and arteries from a deceased patient into the baby’s heart. “This publication is proof that this technology works and can be used to help other children (…) The new valve harvesting method used in partial heart transplantation led to two well-functioning valves and arteries that developed in concert with the child as if they were native vessels.noted Dr. Joseph W. Turek, first author of the study and chief of the Department of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Duke, who led this historic procedure.
According to the study, this procedure required a quarter of the amount of immunosuppressants that are typically prescribed to prevent rejection in complete heart transplants. The scientists noted that low-dose anti-rejection treatment could help avoid some harmful side effects, which are likely to get worse over the years.
Domino heart transplant: one heart to save two lives
Partial heart transplantation could also change the lives of people waiting for a transplant. In the study, doctors discussed domino heart transplantation. For example, a patient who has healthy valves but needs a stronger heart muscle receives a complete heart transplant. The valves are then transplanted to another patient who needs them. Thanks to the domino effect, a single heart could save two lives. “We could potentially double the number of hearts used for the benefit of children suffering from heart disease (…) Of all the hearts donated, about half meet the criteria to be used for a full transplant, but we believe that it there are an equal number of hearts that could be used for valves”noted the Doctor Joseph W. Turek in a statement.
Currently, thirteen partial heart transplants have been performed worldwide, including nine at the Duke Health clinic. According to the researchers, carrying out a clinical trial will be the next step.
