Tag Archives: heart transplant

Professor Jignesh K Patel The human heart has evolved over millennia whereby it is able to pump up to 20 litres per minute upon demand, it can adapt to work efficiently at altitudes of up to 30,000 feet and at high atmospheric pressures under sea. It is not surprising, therefore, that the first attempts at therapies for end-stage heart disease focused on orthotopic transplantation. Certainly, over the last 50 years since Barnard’s first heart transplant, significant advances in immunosuppression and post-transplant management have led to heart transplantation being the optimal long-term solution. One-year survival now exceeds 90% at many in

Bureaucracy The mortality rate for heart failure remains unchanged with 11.6% of heart failure (HF) admissions dying as inpatients, and 33% mortality at around one year, according to the most recent data from the National Heart Failure Audit.  This was presented to the meeting by Professor Theresa McDonagh (King’s College Hospital, London). Data collection continues to improve with 85% of NHS trusts submitting data over the preceding 12 month period, she said.  Access to cardiology services was associated with improved outcomes and a higher usage of evidence-based therapy and subsequent access to outpatient HF services. The likely challen