An in vitro comparison of intra-operative isohemagglutinin and human leukocyte antigen removal techniques in pediatric heart transplantation.

Background: Highly sensitized pediatric patients awaiting heart transplantation experience longer wait times and thus higher waitlist mortality. Similarly, children less than 2 years of age have increased waitlist times and mortality when compared to their older peers. To improve the likelihood of successful transplantation in these patients, various strategies have been utilized, including peri-operative plasmapheresis.