Heart transplantation at the Heart Center North Rhine-Westphalia in Bad Oeynhausen -- 1995 report.

Since March 1989, 713 heart transplants were performed at our center, limited only by donor availability. The induction of immunosuppression was based on double-drug therapy (CsA + Aza) without the use of mono- or polyclonal antibodies. Whenever possible, maintenance immunosuppression was based on CsA and Aza without steroids. Monitoring in adult patients was based on endomyocardial biopsies only during the first 12 months. In the pediatric patient group, only noninvasive diagnostic procedures were performed. The current 1- and 5-year survival rates for heart transplant patients are 80% and 75%, respectively.