CARDIOVASCULAR ENGINEERING Journal for Extracorporeal Circulation, Assist Devices,Transplantation and Artificial Organs
	Volume 5, 2000, No 4

Analysis of Contractile Force, Time to Peak and Relaxation Time of Myocardium Obtained from a Heart with Primary-Graft-Failure by Muscle Strip Preparation and Single Cell Analysis
A. Fliedner, K. Minami, H. Möllmann, J. von Burstin, T. Burkard, A. Dragu, R. Körfer, C. Holubarsch

With approx. 0,4% primary-graft-failure (PGF) is a rare cause for  retransplantation. Regarding the reasons for failure of an apparent good donor organ, after transplantation, very little is known. Different therapeutic options have been tried. The poor results of retransplantation have lead some centres to leave this option (John, Chen et al. 1999). Ventricular Assist Devices prooved to be useful in some cases (Tenderich, Koerner et al. 1998).
We examined the myocardium of a 65-year old patient with PGF  who had to be retransplanted. Using muscle strip preparations and isolated single-cell  the inotropic strength of the explanted PGF-heart was analysed and compared with the data obtained from non-failing-myo­cardium (n=4) (n=6) and failing myocardium (n=16) (n=13) respectively.
Conclusion: Regarding contractility under in vitro conditions PGF-myocardium is similar to non-failing myocardium.

(CVE. 2000; 5 (4): 253-256)

Key words: cardiac retransplantation, myocardium

Anselm Fliedner, M.D.
Abteilung für Kardiologie
Herzzentrum Bad Oeynhausen
Georgstr. 11
D-32545 Bad Oeynhausen
Germany

PABST SCIENCE PUBLISHERS
Lengerich, Berlin, Riga, Rom, Wien, Zagreb