Cognitive and behavioural status of paediatric patients 1 year after cardiac or cardiopulmonary transplantation

Cardiac and cardiopulmonary transplantation are being increasingly used as methods of treatment for children with end-stage heart or lung disease, but little is documented about their psychological adjustment to such procedures. In all, 45 children who had undergone heart or heart-lung transplantation were studied 1 year after operation and compared with 39 children who had undergone bone marrow transplantation, 49 children who had undergone conventional cardiac surgery and 46 normal healthy children. None of the 3 treatment groups differed significantly with respect to developmental, cognitive or behavioural measures, but there were significant differences between the transplant and normal groups in the areas of developmental and cognitive functioning. The initial diagnosis of the transplant patients was found to be an important factor in the postoperative psychological functioning.