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Contemporary Heart Transplantation pp 1–14Cite as

Surgical Complications

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Part of the book series: Organ and Tissue Transplantation ((OTT))

Abstract

Surgical complications following heart transplantation include a wide variety of clinical scenarios that can occur intraoperatively, early after surgery or even years following transplantation. An increasing number of patients are at risk of surgical injuries and bleeding complications as more patients are currently being bridged to transplantation with durable mechanical support devices and therefore have a history of prior sternotomies and are anticoagulated. CT imaging of the chest, optimal anticoagulation reversal, careful operative planning, and meticulous surgical technique are very important tools to prevent catastrophic complications or life-threatening bleeding. Primary and secondary graft dysfunction is common after heart transplantation and one of the most important causes of death within the first year. Although the initial therapeutic strategies include inotropes, vasopressors, and pulmonary vasodilators, many patients require temporary mechanical support to rest the heart and allow graft recovery. Other less common acute and chronic complications are also discussed in this chapter including aortic complications, heart oversizing, wound infections, pericardial effusions, constrictive pericarditis, and tricuspid regurgitation.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiac Surgery, MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

    Ezequiel J. Molina

  2. Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Danjing Zhao

Authors
  1. Ezequiel J. Molina
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  2. Danjing Zhao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ezequiel J. Molina .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. AdventHealth Transplant Institute, Orlando, FL, USA

    Linda Bogar

  2. Division of Cardiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    April Stempien-Otero

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Molina, E.J., Zhao, D. (2020). Surgical Complications. In: Bogar, L., Stempien-Otero, A. (eds) Contemporary Heart Transplantation. Organ and Tissue Transplantation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33280-2_14-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33280-2_14-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33280-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33280-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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