Reassessing Recipient Mortality Under the New Heart Allocation System: An Updated UNOS Registry Analysis.

An early report of recipient heart transplantation outcomes under the new U.S. heart allocation system introduced in late 2018 found a lower post-transplant survival rate compared with that of the prior system. The aim of this study was to examine recipient survival under the new system by using an updated dataset. The 2015 to 2019 United Network for Organ Sharing registry was queried for adult heart transplant recipients, stratified according to whether the subjects were listed and underwent transplant before or after October 18, 2018, when the new allocation system was implemented. The association between allocation system and recipient mortality was analyzed by using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. A total of 7,119 recipients met inclusion criteria: 6,004 (84%) and 1,115 (16%) listed and undergoing transplant in the old and new allocation systems, respectively. This registry update included 576 new-system recipients, more than double the amount previously analyzed. Recipients from the new system were more likely to be bridged to transplant with temporary mechanical circulatory support devices instead of durable left ventricular assist devices and had longer graft ischemic times. After adjustment, the new system was not associated with poorer survival on Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (log-rank test; p = 0.075) or multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.18; 95% confidence interval: 0.90 to 1.55). The short-term survival of recipients listed and receiving a transplant under the old and new allocation systems seems to be comparable. The modification to the allocation system has resulted in several changes to the clinical profiles of patients undergoing transplants that must be closely monitored in the coming years.

Jawitz OK ，Fudim M ，Raman V ，Bryner BS ，DeVore AD ，Mentz RJ ，Milano C ，Patel CB ，Schroder JN ，Rogers JG ... -  《-》

Sex Differences in Mortality Based on United Network for Organ Sharing Status While Awaiting Heart Transplantation.

There are sex differences in mortality while awaiting heart transplantation, and the reason remains unclear. We included all adults in the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients placed on the heart transplant active waitlist from 2004 to 2015. The primary end point was all-cause mortality. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were performed to evaluate survival by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) status at the time of listing. Random survival forest was used to identify sex interactions for the competing risk of death and transplantation. There were 33 069 patients (25% women) awaiting heart transplantation. This cohort included 7681 UNOS status 1A (26% women), 13 027 UNOS status 1B (25% women), and 12 361 UNOS status 2 (26% women). During a median follow-up of 4.3 months, 1351 women and 4052 men died. After adjusting for >20 risk factors, female sex was associated with a significant risk of death among UNOS status 1A (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.29) and UNOS status 1B (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.30). In contrast, female sex was significantly protective for time to death among UNOS status 2 (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.95). Sex differences in probability of transplantation were present for every UNOS status, and >20 sex interactions were identified for mortality and transplantation. When stratified by initial UNOS status, women had a higher mortality than men as UNOS status 1 and a lower mortality as UNOS status 2. With >20 sex interactions for mortality and transplantation, further evaluation is warranted to form a more equitable allocation system.

Hsich EM ，Blackstone EH ，Thuita L ，McNamara DM ，Rogers JG ，Ishwaran H ，Schold JD ... -  《-》

Evolving Trends in Adult Heart Transplant With the 2018 Heart Allocation Policy Change.

Kilic A ，Mathier MA ，Hickey GW ，Sultan I ，Morell VO ，Mulukutla SR ，Keebler ME ... -  《-》

Three-Year Left Ventricular Assist Device Outcomes and Strategy After Heart Transplant Allocation Score Change.

The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) adopted new criteria for the heart allocation score on October 18, 2018 to reflect the changing trends of candidates' mortality while awaiting transplant. We examined the impact of these policy changes on rates of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation and outcomes after transplant from a relatively newer UNOS database. The UNOS registry was used to identify first-time adult heart recipients with LVAD at listing or transplant who underwent transplantation between January 1, 2016 and March 10, 2020. Survival data were collected through March 30, 2023. Those listed before October 18, 2018 but transplanted after were excluded. Patients were divided into before or after change groups. Demographics and clinical parameters were compared. Survival was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. A p <0.05 was considered significant. We identified 4,387 heart recipients with LVAD in the before (n = 3,606) and after (n = 781) score change eras. The after group had a lower rate of LVAD implantation while listed than the before group (20.4% vs 34.9%, p <0.0001), and were more likely to be female (25.1% vs 20.2%, p = 0.002); in both groups, most recipients (62.8%) were white. There was significantly farther distance from the donor hospital to transplant center in the after group (264.4 NM vs 144.2 NM, p <0.0001) and decreased waitlist days (84.9 ± 105.1 vs 369.2 ± 459.5, p <0.0001). Recipients in the after group were more likely to use extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (3.7% vs 0.5%, p <0.0001) and intravenous inotropes (19.1% vs 7.5%, p <0.0001) and receive a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increased risk donor organ (37.9% vs 30.5%, p <0.0001). Survival at 3 years was comparable between the 2 groups. The allocation score change in 2018 yielded considerable changes in mechanical circulatory support device implantation strategy and outcomes. The rate of LVAD implantation decreased with increased utilization of temporary mechanical circulatory support devices.

Agronin J ，Brown M ，Calvelli H ，Zhao H ，Rakita V ，Toyoda Y ，Kashem MA ... -  《-》

Survival on the Heart Transplant Waiting List.

Bakhtiyar SS ，Godfrey EL ，Ahmed S ，Lamba H ，Morgan J ，Loor G ，Civitello A ，Cheema FH ，Etheridge WB ，Goss J ，Rana A ... -  《-》