Quality of Life in Adult Survivors Greater Than 10 Years After Pediatric Heart Transplantation
Presented at the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation Annual Conference. Boston, Massachusetts, April 2008.
Received 17 December 2008; received in revised form 5 March 2009; accepted 7 April 2009. published online 25 May 2009.
Background
This study assessed quality of life (QOL) in adult survivors of pediatric heart transplantation who survived ≥ 10 years after transplantation.
Methods
Prospective data were collected from heart transplant recipients who were aged ≥ 18 years and had survived ≥ 10 years after transplantation (transplantation between July 3, 1986, and April 4, 1997). QOL data were collected from patients using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) Health Survey. Clinical data were collected from medical records. Statistical analyses included frequencies and measures of central tendency.
Results
Twenty-three patients (65% men, 91% white) completed the study. At the study initiation, they were a mean age of 9.0 ± 7.1 years at transplantation, and were a mean age of 25.2 ± 5.5 years (range, 18–34 years) and a mean of 16.2 ± 3.0 years (range, 11–22 years) post-transplantation. Most were in school or working. Mean patient QOL scores from the SF-36v2 survey were 50.56 ± 0.5 (range, 27.3–68.9) for physical health and 49.88 ± 11.72 (range, 23.56–62.84) for mental health, similar to the general United States population. Late complications were frequent, including transplant coronary artery disease, 3; repeat heart transplantation, 2; post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disorder, 6; kidney transplantation, 5; acute late rejection, 5; and arrhythmias, 4.
Conclusion
This report of QOL in adult survivors of pediatric heart transplantation shows patient perception of physical and mental health is similar to the general population despite serious late complications. A multicenter study is planned to further evaluate QOL in this unique cohort.
aDivision of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
bDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
cDivision of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
dDepartment of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
Reprint requests: Elfriede Pahl, MD, Division of Cardiology, Children's Memorial Hospital, 2300 Children's Plaza, MC 21, Chicago, IL 60614. Telephone: 773-880-6388. Fax: 773-880-8111
Funding was provided by the Siragusa Transplant Foundation at Children's Memorial Hospital.
ABSTRACT