Fourth time cardiac retransplantation.

Beginning at age 11 years, our patient has had four heart transplants. Now, 26 years later at age 37, he is fully active. This case is presented to document a unique experience and to consider the difficult decision-making process and ethical issues of multiple cardiac retransplantation.

Experience with more than 100 total artificial heart implants.

Objective: The SynCardia Total Artificial Heart (SynCardia Systems Inc, Tucson, Ariz) has been used as a bridge to cardiac transplantation in 930 patients worldwide and in 101 patients in our program. Our experience with SynCardia Total Artificial Heart implantation documents its indications, safety, and efficacy.

Methods: Data regarding preoperative condition, mortality, and morbidity have been reviewed and analyzed.

Elective cardiac retransplantation: a viable option that can be repeated.

Objective: Our hypothesis is that cardiac retransplantation is a viable option for selected recipients. Furthermore, in some patients multiple retransplantations are reasonable.

Methods: We studied 23 patients who had all received an elective second, third, or fourth cardiac transplant over a 25-year period.