メディエイゴ

No heart transplant procedure(1) is considered routine(2) but Mike Iwuchukwu's was unusual enough that his doctors are writing an article -- maybe several -- for medical journals(3).

In a March 13, 2007 operation(4) at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Iwuchukwu became possibly the first patient ever to receive a heart that had been transplanted(5) before. If such a procedure has been performed, there appears to be(6) no record in the medical literature(7), according to(8) the cardiothoracic surgeons(9) and cardiologists(10) involved in(11) Iwuchukwu's case.

The reuse(12) of any solid organ(13) for transplantation(14) is extremely(15) rare and has been successfully accomplished(16) only in the past few years. Members of Cedars-Sinai's heart transplant program said it is unusual to accept a previously(17) transplanted heart, for several reasons, and the decision was made only after carefully considering all the information about the donor(18) and recipient(19).

In this case, the first recipient experienced non-heart-related(20) complications(21) during the transplant operation. Declared brain dead(22), the recipient became a potential(23) donor and, with the family's consent(24), the heart was offered for donation(25) six days after the operation. OneLegacy, the transplant donor network(26) serving(27) seven Southern California counties(28), notified(29) Cedars-Sinai's transplant specialists(30) of the heart's availability(31).

Few previously transplanted hearts become available(32) to a second patient because most recipients go on to(33) lead a relatively(34) long life. If a once-transplanted(35) heart is offered, several issues(36) require careful deliberation(37), according to the transplant specialists.