The authors present the innitial experience with 27 patients, submitted to orthotopic heart transplantation, during the period of 23 months (march 85 to february 87), at the Heart Institute, University of São Paulo Medical School. Indications were idiopathic cardiomiopathy in 12 cases (44.5%), ischemic cardiomiopathy in 10 cases (37%), Chagas' cardiomiopathy in 4 cases (14.8%) and rheumatic heart valve disease in 1 case (37%). The early mortality was 37% (1 case), caused by inespecific graft failure long distance hearvesting and the late mortality was 7.4% (2 cases), caused by rejection and infective endocarditis. The 24 surviving patients were (70.3%) in NYHA class I, 1 patient (37%) is in functional class II and 4 patients are in early post-operative period.
heart transplantation
