{"title":"The Evolution of the Heart Transplant Surgical Technique.","authors":"Mehmet H Akay, Erik E Suarez, O H Frazier","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1572","DOIUrl":"10.14797/mdcvj.1572","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This overview of the history of human cardiac transplant shares detailed illustrations to demonstrate how surgical procedures have improved since the first human transplant was performed in 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 3","pages":"25-32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082476/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Birds in Flight.","authors":"Philip Alexander","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14797/mdcvj.1603","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Philip Alexander, MD, is a native Texan, retired physician, and accomplished musician and artist. After 41 years as an internal medicine physician, Dr. Phil retired from his practice in College Station in 2016. A lifelong musician and former music professor, he often performs as an oboe soloist for the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra. He began exploring visual art in 1980, evolving from pencil sketches-including an official White House portrait of President Ronald Reagan-to the computer-generated drawings featured in this journal. His images, which first appeared in this journal in the spring of 2012, are his own original creations. If you would like to see your art published in the <i>Methodist DeBakey Cardiovascular Journal</i>, submit your creation online at journal.houstonmethodist.org as a \"Humanities\" entry.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 3","pages":"114-116"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082457/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"History of Heart Transplant: Setting the Stage.","authors":"Farhan Ishaq, Ashrith Guha","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1579","DOIUrl":"10.14797/mdcvj.1579","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heart transplantation is a marvel of modern medicine for patients with end-stage heart failure. Decades of research and surgical innovation have overcome challenges in immunology, organ preservation, and patient care. From the earliest heart transplants on canines and primates, the field evolved through immunosuppressive therapies, development of the bioptome for endomyocardial biopsy and, recently, the use of cell free DNA and molecular microscopy for assessing rejection. Newer developments in organ preservation systems and transport systems bring remarkable increases in the availability of donors.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 3","pages":"5-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082442/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Policy and Oversight of Cardiac Transplantation.","authors":"Amit Alam, Shelley Hall","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1567","DOIUrl":"10.14797/mdcvj.1567","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The first heart transplantation in the United States was performed in 1968. The first national heart allocation system was developed two decades later in 1988 as a two-tiered system. Our current heart allocation system, adopted in 2018 as a six-tiered system, is evolving to become a continuous distribution model. Herein, we review the history of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, the evolution of the cardiac allocation system, modern day challenges of the current heart allocation system policy, and the future of transplantation given ongoing implementation of the modernization initiative.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 3","pages":"83-91"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082465/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Immunosuppression Management in Heart Transplantation.","authors":"Marlena Habal","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1596","DOIUrl":"10.14797/mdcvj.1596","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While advances in immunosuppression management have led to excellent 1-year survival after heart transplantation, long-term outcomes remain suboptimal. Contemporary therapies are associated with adverse sequalae, dominated by chronic kidney disease, and concomitantly by the inadequate control of humoral alloimmunity that is tightly linked to cardiac allograft vasculopathy. The dichotomy between the need for less toxicity and better control of humoral alloimmunity has driven a search for more effective regimens and for strategies to reverse humoral responses. This review provides an overview of immunosuppression in heart transplantation, beginning with critical historical context and followed by basic immunological principles underlying contemporary immunosuppression, the evolution of therapies over the past decade, and considerations for strategies to mitigate humoral alloimmunity. Perspective on the state-of-the field in the current era and considerations for future directions are also provided.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 3","pages":"40-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082473/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy: A Focus on Advances in Diagnosis and Management.","authors":"Colin T Stomberski, Monica M Colvin","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1580","DOIUrl":"10.14797/mdcvj.1580","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a type of coronary artery disease unique to heart transplant recipients that can result from chronic rejection of the transplanted heart. CAV is a major cause of morbidity and mortality after the first year of transplantation. Both immune and nonimmune mechanisms contribute to the initiation and progression of CAV and result in intimal thickening, fibrosis with luminal stenosis, chronic myocardial ischemia and eventual graft failure. Recent advances in imaging modalities-including invasive intracoronary imaging and noninvasive imaging with cardiac positron emission tomography-have improved the early detection of CAV and may allow for optimization of CAV-targeted therapies to reduce CAV progression and ultimately preserve graft function.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 3","pages":"58-71"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082475/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Heart Transplantation: 40 Years and Counting.","authors":"Cindy M Martin","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1605","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.14797/mdcvj.1605","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The field of heart transplantation has experienced remarkable progress over the past decades, transforming from an experimental procedure into a life-saving intervention with continually improving outcomes. As Houston Methodist Hospital celebrates its 40-year milestone in heart transplantation, it is both timely and essential to reflect upon the scientific advancements, ongoing challenges, and emerging opportunities in this dynamic field. Persistent shortages of donor organs, complexities associated with immunosuppressive therapies, and the imperative to optimize long-term patient outcomes continue to drive innovative research and clinical advancements. This issue features a collection of articles exploring key aspects of heart transplantation-from its historical foundations to the latest advances that are shaping its future.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 3","pages":"1-4"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082439/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Correction: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.","authors":"James B Young, LaVonne Carlson","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1621","DOIUrl":"10.14797/mdcvj.1621","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>[This corrects the article DOI: 10.14797/mdcvj.1079.].</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 1","pages":"51-52"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082471/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Salem Assiri, Mohammed S Alshammakh, Sultan M Alzahrani, Moath Said Alfawara, Khaled Al-Shaibi
{"title":"TAVI in Complex Dual-Level Obstruction: A Case of Severe Aortic Stenosis and Subaortic Membrane.","authors":"Salem Assiri, Mohammed S Alshammakh, Sultan M Alzahrani, Moath Said Alfawara, Khaled Al-Shaibi","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1539","DOIUrl":"10.14797/mdcvj.1539","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This case addresses the challenges of treating patients with both severe aortic stenosis and subaortic stenosis. In this combined condition, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains an off-label application, particularly in the presence of a subaortic membrane. Our multimodal imaging approach that incorporates echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography, and fluoroscopic guidance demonstrates the successful application of TAVI in a high-risk clinical scenario. The results underscore the potential of TAVI as a viable alternative to traditional surgical aortic valve replacement for patients with dual-level obstruction who are not candidates for open surgery.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 1","pages":"53-56"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12082459/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144095344","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paulamy Ganguly, Zhihao Zhu, Suhas Babu, Nandan Shettigar, Valeria Duarte, C Huie Lin
{"title":"Patent Ductus Arteriosus with Left to Right Shunting Exacerbating Aortic Valve Stenosis.","authors":"Paulamy Ganguly, Zhihao Zhu, Suhas Babu, Nandan Shettigar, Valeria Duarte, C Huie Lin","doi":"10.14797/mdcvj.1514","DOIUrl":"10.14797/mdcvj.1514","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Aortic stenosis (AS) leads to a reduced effective orifice of the aortic valve, and severity is based on obstructions in flow and velocity. In some patients, coexisting structural cardiac abnormalities that increase left ventricular volume, such as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), may complicate evaluation and management. We present the case of a patient with severe AS and unrepaired PDA and discuss the hemodynamic implications and important physiological changes resulting from the interactions between these lesions. It is important for clinicians to consider the impact of PDA closure in the evolution of AS and related symptoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":39207,"journal":{"name":"Methodist DeBakey cardiovascular journal","volume":"21 1","pages":"49-53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12047625/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144028782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}