Registry Report on Heart Transplantation in Japan (June 2016)

Impact of tacrolimus versus cyclosporin A on renal function during the first year after heart transplant

“…In Japan, the number of HTx procedures is small with an average of 30-40 procedures performed annually and the mean waiting period for HTx exceeding 3 years. 31 Thus, almost all patients are pretreated with implantation of an LVAD as a long delay leads to low levels of B-type natriuretic peptide, as was seen in our cohort. We also found that diuretic use before HTx was paradoxically associated with a lower risk of worsening renal function 1 year after HTx, which indicates the presence of right heart failure under LVAD support related to renal congestion, resulting in renal dysfunction at baseline.…”

Coil Embolization for a Cerebral Aneurysm in a Heart Transplantation Patient: A Case Report

“…1) Indeed, the 10-year survival rate compares favorably with that of the United States, reported to be 53%. 1) The present patient was only 50 years old, the postoperative course was good, and her general condition was stable, so she could be expected to have a good long-term prognosis. It was therefore decided, with the patient's consent, to perform the embolization to prevent rupture of the aneurysm.…”

“…According to the Registry Report of Heart Transplantation in Japan, over 50 patients per year undergo the procedure. 1) The cumulative total by August 2018 was more than 400 heart transplantations, so it can be expected that it will become less rare to encounter patients after heart transplantation with unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Determining the strategy for such cases will require neurosurgeons who are not familiar with transplantation medicine to have knowledge about the current status and prognosis of heart transplantation.…”

Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy ― Heart Transplantation Provides Insights Into Pathogenesis and Treatment of Arteriosclerosis ―

“…1 In Japan, the number of HTx procedures increased to around 50 cases per year after revision of the Revised Organ Transplant Act in July 2010. 2 However, few HTx procedures are performed compared with other countries, and the mean waiting period of Status I patients exceeded 1,000 days at the end of 2016 because of a rapid increase in newly registered patients on the waiting list, most of whom were using a left ventricular assist device as a bridge to transplantation. 2 Because of the severe organ shortage in Japan, more marginal donor hearts are used than in other countries, but the outcomes of patients receiving these hearts have not been well studied.…”