Should advanced friedreich’s ataxia be a contraindication for heart transplantation? A case report of a successful procedure in a 58-year-old patient

The information on heart transplantation (HT) in patients with Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) is scarce, and the few published case reports are limited to young patients with mild neurological manifestations. We present the case of a 58-year-old patient with advanced FA (Scale for the Assessment and...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Valero Masa, María Jesús, Muñoz Blanco, José Luis, Garrido Sánchez, Alejandro, Cuerpo, Gregorio, Castrodeza, Javier, Navas, Paula, Sousa Casasnovas, Iago, Villa, Adolfo, Fernández Avilés, Francisco, Martínez Sellés Oliveria Soares, Manuel
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:España
Institución:Universidad Europea (UEM)
Repositorio:ABACUS. Repositorio de Producción Científica
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:abacus.universidadeuropea.com:11268/11600
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11268/11600
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Ataxia de Friedreich
Trasplante de corazón
Sistema cardiovascular
Trasplante de órganos
Descripción
Sumario:The information on heart transplantation (HT) in patients with Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) is scarce, and the few published case reports are limited to young patients with mild neurological manifestations. We present the case of a 58-year-old patient with advanced FA (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia [SARA] score 30/40), wheelchair-bound for the last 16 years and had urinary incontinence, dysarthria, and neurosensorial deafness. The patient was admitted for a refractory arrhythmic storm and had previous hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that evolved to dilated cardiomyopathy with severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and recurrent ventricular arrhythmias. A multidisciplinary team discussed the HT option. The patient was aware of the risks and benefits and considered worthy of the intervention, so he was listed for HT. After a successful surgical intervention, the patient had a long postoperative stay in ICU. He required a high dose of vasopressors, underwent hemofiltration for one month, suffered critical illness myopathy, had several respiratory infections and delayed tracheal extubation. Two and a half months after HT and almost five months at the hospital, the patient was successfully discharged. FA patients with severe heart conditions should be carefully evaluated by a multidisciplinary team to decide the candidacy for HT.