Key result
Heart transplantation benefits many pediatric patients with cardiomyopathies, with outcomes depending on underlying etiology, illness severity, and the amount of pre-transplant support needed.
Heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support are important therapeutic options for pediatric patients with severe cardiomyopathies, though associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
May guide transplant candidacy discussions in pediatric cardiomyopathy; leaves open etiology-specific outcome optimization.
Cardiomyopathies represent an uncommon but serious cause of heart disease in the pediatric population and can be categorized as dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive and left ventricular non-compaction. Each of these subtypes has multiple potential genetic etiologies in addition to possible non-genetic causes. Many patients with cardiomyopathies can benefit from transplantation, although there is not insignificant morbidity and mortality for those patients. Outcomes both prior to and following transplantation depend on the underlying etiology, the amount of support needed prior to transplantation and the illness severity of the patient prior to transplantation. Mechanical circulatory support is frequently used to bridge patients to transplantation, and newer technologies are currently in development.
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Birnbaum et al. (2013) conducted a review in Pediatric cardiomyopathies. Heart transplantation was evaluated. Heart transplantation benefits many pediatric patients with cardiomyopathies, with outcomes depending on underlying etiology, illness severity, and the amount of pre-transplant support needed.
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