Domino heart valve transplants (HVTs) function well and grow at short-term follow-up, with recipients developing donor specific antibodies, according to a brief report published Feb. 24 in JACC. David M. Kalfa, MD, PhD, et al., conducted a retrospective assessment of two pediatric domino HVTs, and outcomes support HVT's immense promise for patients with congenital heart disease. Read more.
In a related editorial comment, Emily A. Downs, MD, et al., note, "This work confirms the value of a currently unused source of heart valve homografts from orthotopic heart transplant recipients and broadens the foundation of evidence for the use of living allogenic heart tissues from a diverse pool of donors."