Heart Transplantation News and Research

RSS

A heart transplant is an operation in which the diseased heart in a person is replaced with a healthy heart from a deceased donor. Ninety percent of heart transplants are performed on patients with end-stage heart failure.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is damaged or weakened and can't pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. "End-stage" means the condition has become so severe that all treatments, other than heart transplant, have failed.

Race matching among donors and recipients has no effect on survival rates: Study

Transplant surgeons at Johns Hopkins who have reviewed the medical records of more than 20,000 heart transplant patients say that it is not simply racial differences, but rather flaws in the health care system, along with type of insurance and education levels, in addition to biological factors, that are likely the causes of disproportionately worse outcomes after heart transplantation in African Americans.

1 Jun 2010

Clinical Data expands PGxHealth's FAMILION tests to include two new tests to diagnose heart diseases

Clinical Data, Inc., announced today that its PGxHealth division is expanding its FAMILION family of genetic tests to include two new tests to diagnose heart diseases. With the launch of a test for Conduction Disease associated with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and a test for Short QT Syndrome, PGxHealth continues to lead the industry with the most comprehensive menu of genetic tests to diagnose or confirm familial heart diseases.

12 May 2010

Heart and liver transplant recipients at higher risk of developing lung cancer: Researchers

Heart and liver transplant recipients are at particularly high risk of developing lung cancer after receiving the donated organ, researchers report at the 2nd European Lung Cancer Conference. They are advising doctors to screen for such cancers in these patients to maximize the chance of detecting the malignancy early.

3 May 2010

Artificial heart to be a reality soon, expect researchers

There is good news for heart patients waiting in line for a heart transplant. A team of researchers in Queensland, Malaysia, Germany and Japan are working on an artificial heart. They plan to try it first in sheep.

29 Apr 2010

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute presents new findings on heart transplantation rejection factors

Physician scientists at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute are presenting new findings on heart transplantation rejection factors such as race and gender, the effects of pre-transplant smoking and whether homeless organ donors put recipients at higher risk for complications. The presentations will take place April 21 - 24 in Chicago during the 30th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation.

26 Apr 2010

AlloMap molecular expression test reduces need for invasive heart-muscle biopsies

Monitoring rejection in heart transplantation patients with a simple blood test co-developed by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center physician-scientist Dr. Mario Deng in 2005 can safely reduce their need for invasive heart-muscle biopsies, a new study has found.

24 Apr 2010

Continuous flow mechanical circulatory support devices improve outcomes in patients awaiting heart transplants

New data show improved outcomes, better survival rates and lower costs with the use of continuous flow mechanical circulatory support devices in patients awaiting heart transplants. Research will be presented this week during symposia at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) 30th Annual Meeting and Scientific Session at the Hilton Chicago.

24 Apr 2010

CAPS launches new service for admixture and delivery of Hibernation Therapeutics' Adenocaine microplegia

Central Admixture Pharmacy Services, Inc. (CAPS®), a B. Braun company, announced today the launch of its newest service for the admixture and delivery of Hibernation Therapeutics' patented Adenocaine™ microplegia, the world's first low-potassium, non-depolarizing cardioplegia solution.

From B. Braun Melsungen AG 23 Apr 2010

Dehaier Medical Systems announces initial public offering

Dehaier Medical Systems Ltd., an emerging leader in the development, assembly, marketing and sale of medical products in China, announced today its initial public offering of 1,500,000 ordinary shares at $8.00 per share. The ordinary shares will begin trading today under the ticker symbol "DHRM" on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

23 Apr 2010

Genetic tests that may replace biopsies

Genetic tests conducted on blood samples may replace the current biopsies when it comes to checking if immune systems are rejecting new organs of heart transplant patients. The test would be far less invasive and uncomfortable as compared to the biopsies, not to mention more affordable.

23 Apr 2010

ISHLT announces new guidelines for heart transplant recipients

The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) today announces new guidelines to standardize care for heart transplant patients worldwide. The guidelines demonstrate a united effort to decrease complications, improve outcomes and increase patient survival rates among heart transplant recipients. The guidelines will be presented during today's symposium The ISHLT Guidelines for Heart Transplant Recipients: Towards an International Consensus at the ISHLT 30th Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions at the Hilton Chicago.

22 Apr 2010

AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation's cardiovascular health program receives $25M charitable contribution

The AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation announced today it received a $25 million charitable contribution from AstraZeneca for Connections for Cardiovascular Health(SM), its newest program with the mission of improving cardiovascular health in the United States.

22 Apr 2010

"Destination therapy" for end-stage heart failure patients

Federal approval for an alternative therapy to heart transplantation led to a new lease on life for a UT Southwestern Medical Center patient who suffered from heart failure for nearly a decade.

21 Apr 2010

HeartWare's ADVANCE bridge-to-transplant clinical trial: FDA approves additional enrollment under CAP

HeartWare International, Inc., a leading innovator of less invasive, miniaturized circulatory support technologies revolutionizing the treatment of advanced heart failure, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an IDE Supplement that allows HeartWare to enroll up to an additional 54 patients in its "ADVANCE" bridge-to-transplant clinical trial under a Continued Access Protocol (CAP).

8 Apr 2010

Physician scientists present new findings on aspirin therapy, atrial fibrillation drug therapy and LVAD

Physician scientists from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute presented new findings on the effectiveness of routine aspirin therapy for preventing heart disease, a drug therapy for atrial fibrillation and the role left ventricular assist devices may play in weight reduction for obese patients with chronic end-stage heart failure who are considered for heart transplantation.

19 Mar 2010

Medtronic launches Every Patient First health equity initiative.

Medtronic, Inc. today introduced Every Patient First, a health equity initiative that, in partnership with health care providers, professional societies and patient advocacy groups, aims to reduce disparities in access to health care in the United States. The announcement was made at the 59th Annual Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta.

17 Mar 2010

Surgeons complete first phase of certification training to implant temporary CardioWest Total Artificial Heart

On March 4 & 5, the surgical team from the Onassis Cardiac Surgery Center, led by Dr. Petros Sfirakis, Director of the Transplantation Department & Mechanical Support Unit and Dr. Louis Louca, Surgeon/VAD Coordinator, completed the first phase of certification training to implant the SynCardia temporary CardioWest™ Total Artificial Heart.

9 Mar 2010

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals' RECOTHROM solution receives Health Canada approval

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals announced today that RECOTHROM(R) (Thrombin alfa (Recombinant)), the first recombinant, plasma-free thrombin approved by Health Canada, is now available for use as a topical hemostatic solution. According to a recent clinical study, RECOTHROM(R) was found to successfully stop 80 per cent of surgical bleeding within three minutes and 95 per cent of bleeding within 10 minutes.

1 Mar 2010

Heartware completes patient enrollment for ADVANCE clinical trial

23 Feb 2010

Implanted ventricular assist heart pump for infants project awarded $5.6M federal contract

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and their collaborators have been awarded a $5.6 million federal contract to pursue the continued development of an implanted ventricular assist heart pump for infants and small children with congenital or acquired heart disease. The project aims to provide much-needed access to the sophisticated technologies that have saved the lives of older heart failure patients.

5 Feb 2010