Survival and incidence of acute rejection in heart transplant recipients undergoing successful withdrawal from steroid therapy.

Background: Steroid-free immunosuppression is feasible in selected patients after heart transplantation. Survival and incidence of acute rejection are important parameters to evaluate when weighing risks and benefits of steroid withdrawal.

Methods: One hundred thirty-seven patients were retrospectively reviewed who underwent heart transplant at Emory University between January 1988 and April 1994 and survived >1 year.