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Objectives: Coronary artery disease is a major cause of mortality and morbidity after renal transplant. Fragmented QRS on standard 12-lead electrocardiograms has been proposed as a marker of myocardial scar, mainly due to coronary artery disease. Here, we aimed to investigate fragmented QRS to detect severe coronary artery disease in renal transplant candidates., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 534 patients with end-stage renal failure who were on the deceased-donor renal transplant wait list at Başkent University Faculty of Medicine due to having no living kidney donor available. We evaluated patients with standard 12-lead electrocardiograms, myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, and coronary angiography. We compared fragmented QRS prevalence versus myocardial perfusion scintigraphy abnormalities and severe coronary artery disease. Correlations among these were analyzed., Results: Of 92 renal transplant candidates (median age of 56.5 y; range, 24-80 y), 87 patients (94.6%) had myocardial perfusion defects and 72 (78.3%) had myocardial wall motion abnormalities on myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Forty-four patients (47.8%) had severe coronary artery disease on coronary angiography, and 51 patients (55.4%) had fragmented QRS. Fragmented QRS was significantly more common among patients with myocardial scar. Coronary artery disease was significantly more common in patients with fragmented QRS (P = .042) and in those with fragmented QRS combined with myocardial perfusion defects (P < .01). Fragmented QRS was significantly correlated with presence of myocardial scar and any perfusion defects. When combined with myocardial perfusion defects, fragmented QRS was significantly correlated with severe coronary artery disease (P < .05)., Conclusions: Fragmented QRS was significantly correlated with abnormal myocardial perfusion scintigraphy and severe coronary artery disease in renal transplant candidates. This simple parameter can provide valuable information on severe coronary artery disease and help to prevent excess patient morbidity and mortality from this disease after renal transplant.

Objectives: Coronary vasospasm in heart transplant recipients occurs through various mechanisms. It has been linked to allograft rejection and coronary vasculopathy, which can result in mortality during follow-up. Here, we investigated the prevalence of coronary vasospasm among heart transplant recipients undergoing surveillance coronary angiography procedures., Materials and Methods: This study was prospectively performed at Başkent University Faculty of Medicine by retrospectively analyzing medical information of patients who underwent bicaval heart transplant between 2003 and 2016 and subsequently had coronary angiography to rule out allograft vasculopathy. We analyzed prevalence of coronary vasospasm, affected vessels, underlying vessel properties, and treatment modalities. Coronary vasospasm was defined as transient diffuse or localized luminal narrowing, either spontaneously or catheter-induced, relieved spontaneously or with nitroglycerine., Results: Forty-one coronary angiography procedures were performed using the standard Judkins technique. Among these, 5 patients showed coronary vasospasm a mean of 2 years after cardiac transplant. All vasospasm episodes involved the left anterior descending artery, with 2 also involving the circumflex artery and 1 involving the right coronary artery. The degree of luminal narrowing ranged from mild to severe. Episodes that involved the left anterior descending artery more often diffusely involved most of the vessel. In 3 patients, vasospasms were recurrent. Three patients had underlying coronary artery disease, which was relieved in 2 patients who progressed by stent implant. Neither ischemic events nor reduction of ejection fraction was observed during follow-up. There were also no occurrences of cellular or humoral rejection or death in any of the patients with vasospasm., Conclusions: Coronary vasospasm is common in heart transplant recipients. It may be diffuse or localized and occur spontaneously or because of underlying coronary artery disease. Factors, including allograft vasculopathy, associated with coronary vasospasm remain to be determined, and further related research is needed.

Objectives: Endomyocardial biopsy sampling is used to check acute rejection after cardiac transplant. However, it may lead to tricuspid valve injury and cardiac perforation; therefore, less invasive tools may be useful. Right heart catheterization provides valuable information about cardiac hemodynamics. Herein, we aimed to determine the correlation of right heart catheterization parameters with acute rejection and death during cardiac transplant follow-up., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated follow-up right heart catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy results from 47 adult patients who underwent cardiac transplant at Başkent University Faculty of Medicine between 2004 and 2016. Right heart catheterization parameters were compared between deceased and surviving patients and were correlated with acute cellular and humoral rejection. Averaged right heart catheterization parameters were correlated with death. We used Cox regression analysis to determine risk of death and acute cellular rejection and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to determine any survival differences associated with pulmonary hypertension., Results: There were 47 patients (38 males, 9 females) with a mean age of 44 ± 10 years at transplant. In our patient group, 18 patients (38.3%) died at a median time of 11.2 months. Ninety endomyocardial biopsy samples (22.1%) showed cellular rejection, and 61 samples (4.5%) showed humoral rejection. The deceased patients had significantly greater mean and systolic pulmonary artery pressures, which were significantly correlated with acute cellular rejection. Death was significantly correlated with averaged values of mean and systolic pulmonary artery pressures. Our Cox regression analysis revealed that pulmonary hypertension was significantly associated with risk of death and acute cellular rejection. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that pulmonary hypertension was associated with a significantly lower median survival., Conclusions: Pulmonary artery pressures are significantly correlated with acute cellular rejection and death after cardiac transplant. Pulmonary hypertension significantly increases the risk of death and shortens survival after cardiac transplant.

Objectives: Cardiac implantable electrical devices are widely used for patients with advanced heart failure and are usually explanted during orthotopic heart transplant. However, lead fragments and the pulse generator are sometimes left after the procedure. Given the concerns of infectious and thromboembolic complications, their removal is recommended. Herein, we report our experience with cardiac implantable electrical device explantation after orthotopic heart transplant., Materials and Methods: We included recipients of heart transplants performed at Başkent University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, who underwent lead and pulse generator explantation by manual traction between January 2012 and June 2017. We analyzed patient demographic, clinical, biochemical, and treatment properties., Results: Sixteen patients (11 males, 5 females) with a median age of 45 years (range, 18-52 y) were included. Two patients (12.5%) died during follow-up but not secondary to device explantation. All patients were using immunosuppressives and 50% were receiving antiplatelet/anticoagulant agents. All pulse generators were located at the left prepectoral area, with tips of lead fragments in the superior vena cava or left subclavian vein. No procedural complications were observed. Aspirin was continued uninterrupted perioperatively, warfarin was stopped 2 days before the procedure, and low-molecular-weight heparins were skipped on the morning and evening of the procedure. One patient (6.3%) complained of postoperative pain, and another (6.3%) developed a pocket hematoma, which was treated conservatively. No patient developed fever, clinical infection, or major bleeding. Preoperative and postoperative levels of hemoglobin, white blood cells, and C-reactive protein were similar. No demographic, procedural, or biochemical variable was significantly correlated with postprocedural complications., Conclusions: In our cohort, explantation of lead fragments and pulse generators of cardiac implantable electrical devices was safe after heart transplant. It appears that neither antiplatelet/anticoagulant agents nor immunosuppressives seem to put patients at increased risk of postoperative complications.