Coronary Arteriography Following Cardiac Transplantation

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Coronary arteriography in conjunction with cardiac catheterization has been performed one year following heart transplantation in three patients. The coronary vessels were normal and left ventricular contractility as assessed by ventriculography was also normal. No technical problems were encountered during the performance of the procedures. The normal vessels in these patients contrast markedly with the severe coronary artery narrowing seen at autopsy in three of our patients who died of complications of myocardial ischemia 5 to 21 months following heart transplantation. It is suggested that satisfactory management of acute rejection in the immediate postoperative period, reduction of dietary cholesterol, and treatment with agents which interfere with fibrin and platelet deposition may retard or inhibit the formation of lesions within the coronary arteries of transplanted hearts.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: