THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL HEART TRANSPLANTATION IN THE CAUCASUS

Abstract

The article presents data on the first successful orthotopic hearttransplantation performed in Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region. Heart transplantation is considered the most effective treatment for patients with end-stage heart failure that does not respond to optimal medical therapy and other treatment methods. Despite its widespread application worldwide, heart transplantation had not been performed in Azerbaijan and the Caucasus region until now. The study included a 19-year-old male patient diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy who was admitted to our clinic with severe heart failure. Despite optimal medical treatment, the patient's cardiac function gradually deteriorated and the left ventricular ejection fraction was 20%. One year prior, an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator had been placed to prevent severe left ventricular dysfunction and life-threatening arrhythmias. The patient was placed on the waiting list for heart transplantation. After obtaining a suitable donor heart, the patient underwent orthotopic heart transplantation through a median sternotomy, under cardiopulmonary bypass and using the bicaval technique. The study revealed that the postoperative period was uneventful. The patient was extubated on the first postoperative day and discharged home on the eleventh day. During the five-month follow-up period, the patient remains asymptomatic and the function of the transplanted heart is satisfactory. The findings obtained may be significant for the further development of the national transplantation program, and this case represents an important milestone in the development of transplantation surgery in the country.