First pediatric heart transplantation from a pediatric donor heart in Japan.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Since the revision of the Japanese Organ Transplantation Act, children younger than 15 years old can donate their organs after brain death.

METHODS AND RESULTS:

A teenage boy with endstage restrictive cardiomyopathy underwent the first heart transplantation with a pediatric donor heart in Japan on April 12, 2011. He had a good postoperative clinical course and no histological rejection episodes. His waiting period was relatively short (237 days) compared with adult patients, because of the pediatric patient-first policy for a pediatric donor heart.

CONCLUSIONS:

To increase pediatric heart transplantation in Japan, further enlightenment of the general population about pediatric organ donation is desirable.

• Authors: Takayoshi Ueno, Norihide Fukushima, Taichi Sakaguchi, Haruki Ide, Hideto Ozawa, Shunsuke Saito, Hajime Ichikawa, Yoshiki Sawa
• Journal: Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society (Circ J) Vol. 76 Issue 3 Pg. 752-4 ( 2012) ISSN: 1347-4820 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 22277316 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Cardiomyopathy, Restrictive (therapy)
• Child
• Government Regulation
• Heart Transplantation (legislation & jurisprudence, methods)
• Humans
• Japan
• Male
• Tissue Donors
• Tissue and Organ Procurement
• Treatment Outcome