Background: Heart transplantation is performed as a routine treatment method for heart failure in many centers. However, various complication rates have been reported mainly due to differences in some aspects of practises in these centers. In the present study we reviewed the complications after orthotopic heart transplantation procedures performed in our clinic.

Methods: A total of 8 orthotopic heart transplantations were performed between August 1998, and June 2002. The mean age of the patients (7 male and 1 female) was 47 ± 10 years (ranged; 30 to 60 years). Two subgroups of patients were defined on the basis of etiology: first group included 3 patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (37%), and the second, 5 patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (63%). All patients received triple immunsupressive treatment with cyclosporine A, azathioprine and prednisolone. Endomyocardial biopsy was used in follow-up of the rejection. Coronary angiography was performed for coronary allograft vasculopathy every year.

Results: Following transplantation, we observed hypertension in two patients, diabetes mellitus in two patients and lymphoma in one patients. A total of 59 endomyocardial biopsies were performed for rejection researches. We observed 34 Grade (0), 14 Grade (1), 8 Grade (2) and 3 Grade (4) biopsies with acute rejections. One patient died in the late period due to fulminant hepatitis.

Conclusions: A large variety of complications develope after cardiac transplantation. The effective evaluation and treatment of these complications might increase the survival and the life quality after cardiac transplantation.

Keywords : Heart transplantation, endomyocardial biopsy, rejection, cardiomyopathy, immunsupressive theraphy