Heart transplantation: secondary prevention
Nellessen, E.; Lancellotti, P.; Demoulin, J.C.; Piérard, L.A.
Revue Medicale de Liege 58(6): 429-434
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0370-629X PMID: 12945243 Document Number: 562918
Cardiac transplantation is the treatment of choice for refractory heart failure. An immunosuppressive therapy must be given in the perioperative course to avoid graft rejection. In this article, we review the main classes of immunosuppressive agents (calcineurin inhibitors, anti-metabolities, corticoïds) and their side effects. The general preventive measures and the different kinds of rejection (hyperacute, acute vascular, acute cellular and chronical) are discussed. The current bacterial, protozoarian, mycotic and viral infections are described. We finish with the risk of cancer, mainly skin tumours and non-Hodgkinian lymphomas.