Outcomes of Multi-Organ Transplant in Adult Patients With Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) is increasing in the United States because of improved survival into adulthood. The unique physiology of ACHD commonly leads to multiorgan dysfunction, prompting interest in outcomes after multiorgan (heart+X) transplantation. Methods and Results: We queried the SRTR (Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients) database to examine 5-year outcomes in ACHD patients (aged ≥18 years) who underwent dual organ (heart+kidney/liver/lung) transplantation between 2000 and 2016. Cox proportional hazards models were constructed to look at survival of dual organ transplant recipients versus heart-only recipients in the ACHD population and heart+lung recipients versus heart-only recipients in the ACHD populations and versus non-ACHD recipients of heart+lung transplant. We then constructed a multivariable model to investigate independent risk factors for 5-year mortality after multiorgan transplant. Overall, 5-year mortality was greater for multiorgan (heart+kidney/liver/lung) transplant compared with heart-only transplant. On further analysis, only heart+lung transplant was associated with increased mortality. Outcomes after heart+lung transplant were no different between the ACHD and non-ACHD population. Risk factors for increased risk of 5-year mortality in ACHD patients after multiorgan transplant included heart+lung transplant, previous cardiac surgery, and severe functional limitation. Conclusions: The mortality risk associated with multiorgan heart transplant in ACHD patients is attributable primarily to heart+lung transplants. Multiorgan transplant in ACHD does not convey increased risk compared with the non-ACHD population. Need for multiorgan transplant should not be an impediment to listing ACHD patients needing a heart transplant.