Improving contemporary outcomes following heart transplantation for cardiac amyloidosis

Abstract

Background: The incidence of systemic amyloidosis is rising, and there is a concomitant rise in heart transplant for an indication of cardiac amyloidosis. Methods: We utilized the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) database to retrospectively assess survival and outcomes in adult patients undergoing heart transplant for cardiac amyloidosis from 1999 to 2019. We also compared survival among four distinct time periods: 1999–2001, 2002–2008, 2008–2015, 2016–2019. Results: Of 41,103 patients, 425 (1.03%) were transplanted for an indication of restrictive cardiomyopathy due to cardiac amyloidosis (RCM-Amyloidosis). The percent of all transplants occurring for RCM-Amyloidosis increased from 0.25% in the 1999–2001 era to 1.74% in the 2015–2019 era (p