Presenting research at a premier transplant conference

UW Health physicians and advanced practice providers presented a total of 21 abstracts at the conference. “These abstracts are peer-reviewed by the society and only a fraction will get accepted for publication,” said Dr. Veli Topkara, medical director of the Heart Failure, Cardiac Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Program at UW Health.

Conference abstracts

Two of the most important abstract topics were:

Short-term circulatory support devices used for patients waiting in the hospital for heart transplant

While these devices are only approved for up to 14 days of support, the study found that patients who were supported for a longer period had excellent outcomes and low complications. “With this data, we can be more comfortable using these devices for a longer time period in patients,” said Topkara. “While they do not typically lead to heart recovery, they provide an effective bridge to transplant with low complication rates when appropriately managed.”

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) hearts

Several studies examined DCD donor hearts, which have only become widely used in recent years. One study looked at whether hearts from donors who are older than 40 resulted in good outcomes. “The answer was yes,” said Topkara. “These hearts had near-perfect function. The recipients did very well, even after receiving borderline hearts. These findings support expanding donor criteria, which means we can perform more transplants.”

Additionally, UW Health program leaders contributed to multiple talks during ISHLT and affiliated satellite events. Dr. Maryl Johnson, a heart failure transplant cardiologist who is also a past president of the society, moderated a plenary session. Dr. John Stulak, a cardiothoracic surgeon, delivered a lecture on mitral valve repair during LVAD implantation, and Topkara spoke on artificial intelligence in LVAD decision-making at a satellite industry symposium.

“Our strong presence at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation meeting reflects a transplant program that is highly productive academically, clinically active and nationally visible,” said Topkara. “It demonstrates robust research output, multidisciplinary collaboration, innovation and leadership in heart transplantation, and is generally viewed within the field as a marker of a top-tier or rapidly advancing transplant center.”