Loading...
Heart transplantation offers longer survival and improved quality of life to many patients with end-stage heart failure, but organ supplies are limited. In this analysis of data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), authors analyzed survival among 48,982 heart failure patients who were awaiting transplant during three periods: 1990–1994, 1995–1999, and 2000–2005.
The survival rate for UNOS status I patients (the most-severely ill), most of whom were hospitalized and required continuous inotropic or circulatory support, improved from 49.5% to 69.0% during the years analyzed. The survival rate for status II patients, most of whom were not hospitalized but who met other criteria for transplantation, also improved gradually from 81.8…