The International Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: Thirty-sixth adult heart transplantation report — 2019; focus theme: Donor and recipient size match

The field of heart transplantation continues to evolve, with major changes in allocation systems and the increasing use of extended-criteria donor hearts, including hearts from donation after circulatory death donors, hearts supported with ex-vivo perfusion, and hearts from hepatitis C viremic donors. The use of such non-traditional donor hearts has made transplantation available to a larger number of recipients, but the demand continues to outpace the supply. Given this persistent donor heart shortage, much attention has been paid to the topic of donor-recipient size matching. Prior studies have challenged traditional criteria for size matching, 1 Blackbourne LH Tribble CG Langenburg SE et al. Successful use of undersized donors for orthotopic heart transplantation—with a caveat. Ann Thorac Surg. 1994; 57: 1472-1476 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (18) Google Scholar , 2 Sethi GK Lanauze P Rosado LJ et al. Clinical significance of weight difference between donor and recipient in heart transplantation. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1993; 106: 444-448 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Google Scholar , 3 Taghavi S Wilson LM Brann SH Gaughan J Mangi AA Cardiac transplantation can be safely performed with low donor-to-recipient body weight ratios. J Card Fail. 2012; 18: 688-693 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (11) Google Scholar while others have attempted to identify the optimal metric for matching donor and recipient heart size by comparing criteria, such as height, weight, body mass index (BMI), body surface area (BSA), and predicted heart mass (PHM). 4 Kransdorf EP Kittleson MM Benck LR et al. Predicted heart mass is the optimal metric for size match in heart transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant. 2019; 38: 156-165 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (53) Google Scholar , 5 Reed RM Netzer G Hunsicker L et al. Cardiac size and sex-matching in heart transplantation: size matters in matters of sex and the heart. JACC Heart Fail. 2014; 2: 73-83 Crossref PubMed Scopus (102) Google Scholar , 6 Russo MJ Hong KN Davies RR et al. The effect of body mass index on survival following heart transplantation: do outcomes support consensus guidelines?. Ann Surg. 2010; 251: 144-152 Crossref PubMed Scopus (74) Google Scholar , 7 Patel ND Weiss ES Nwakanma LU et al. Impact of donor-to-recipient weight ratio on survival after heart transplantation: analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Database. Circulation. 2008; 118: S83-S88 Crossref PubMed Scopus (97) Google Scholar This 36th annual adult heart transplant report is based on data submitted to the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry on 146,975 heart transplants in recipients of all ages (including 131,249 adult heart transplants) through June 30, 2018. The focus theme of the 2019 annual report is donor-recipient size match. ERRATUMThe Journal of Heart and Lung TransplantationVol. 39Issue 1PreviewKhush KK, Cherikh WS, Chambers DC, Harhay MO, Hayes D Jr, Hsich E, Meiser B, Potena L, Robinson A, Rossano JW, Sadavarte A, Singh TP, Zuckermann A, Stehlik J; International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. The International Thoracic Organ Transplant Registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation: Thirty-sixth adult heart transplantation report — 2019; focus theme: Donor and recipient size match. J Heart Lung Transplant 2019;38(10):1056–1066. Full-Text PDF