Outcomes of patients after repeat heart transplantation – insights from the UNOS database

Cardiac graft failure may require repeat heart transplantation (HTx). Outcomes of patients that undergo repeat HTx have not been well described.

We compared patients that received repeat HTx with patients that received initial HTx by inquiring the United Network for Organ Sharing database between 2015–2021. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality.

A total of 19,805 HTx patients were included in the study. Patients that underwent repeat HTx (n=578, 3%) were younger (43.8±15.3 vs. 53.7±12.7 years, p<0.001) with lower body mass index (26.8±5.3 vs. 27.6±4.9 kg/m², p<0.001) and worse renal function (Cr 1.8±1.4 vs. 1.4±0.9 mg/dl). Patients with repeat HTx had increased risk for 1-year mortality (hazard ratio 1.49 [1.16–1.90], p=0.002) compared to patients with initial HTx after adjusting for age, ethnicity, use of left ventricular assist device, UNOS recipient status, diabetes, ischemic time, donor age and predicted heart mass mismatch (Figure 1). Results did not change with the new allocation system (10/2018).

Repeat HTx occurred in 3% of a contemporary UNOS cohort and carried an increased and independent risk for mortality.

Type of funding sources: None.