Repair of an aortic aneurysm at the time of heart transplantation: report of two cases and review of the literature

Abstract

SIMULTANEOUS cardiac transplantation and surgical repair of an aortic aneurysm (AA) has not been reported previously. Aortic aneurysms are rare in patients with end-stage heart failure who are candidates for cardiac transplantation (HTX). To date, dilatation and aneurysm of the thoracic aorta have only been reported in patients referred for heart transplantation whose underlying disease was Mafar’s syndrome. However, the presence of an AA has been regarded as contraindication for transplantation in this population. This article reviews the first two cases of patients with AA in whom end-stage cardiomyopathy developed and who were accepted for and eventually underwent successful heart transplantation. Repair of the aneurysm of the ascending aorta and the aortic hemiarch by use of a tube graft in the first patient and simple replacement of the aneurysm of the ascending aorta by the donor aorta in the second patient were performed at the time of heart transplantation.