Fresh Homografts Obtained through a National Organ-Sharing Programme for Repair of Congenital Heart Disease

• Published in: Journal of international medical research Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 123 - 133
• Main Authors: Metin, SK, Uğurlu, BS, Oto, Ö, Sariosmanoğlu, ON, Hazan, E, Ünal, N, Saylam, GS, Akçoral, A, Dontlu, Ç
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.01.2005
• Subjects: Aortic Aneurysm - surgery; Child; Heart Defects, Congenital - classification; Heart Defects, Congenital - surgery; Humans; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Tissue and Organ Procurement; Transplantation, Homologous; Homograft; Transplantation; Congenital; Cardiac
• ISSN: 0300-0605; 1473-2300
• DOI: 10.1177/147323000503300114

Homografts have been used in congenital cardiac surgery for over 30 years. We utilized the resources of a national organsharing programme to obtain fresh homografts and report their use in correcting cardiac pathologies in 20 children between March 2001 and May 2003. In 16 patients, a valved conduit was used to form a connection between the pulmonary ventricle and the pulmonary artery. In three patients, a non-valved aortic conduit was used to form an extracardiac Fontan circulation and in one patient, non-valved pulmonary and aortic conduits were used to repair an infected aortic aneurysm. Three patients died following surgery. Survivors were followed up using echocardiography between 2 and 24 months post-surgery. Results demonstrate that, with the help of a national organ-sharing programme, the use of fresh homograft conduits is feasible in a paediatric patient population with reasonable waiting times.