Cardiac autotransplantation for malignant or complex primary left-heart tumors

Malignant or complex benign tumors of the left heart can present a formidable challenge for complete resection, due to anatomic inaccessibility. Cardiac autotransplantation (cardiac explantation, ex-vivo tumor resection, reconstruction, and reimplantation) was introduced for complex benign primary left-heart cardiac tumors by Cooley and for malignant left-heart tumors by Reardon. Herein, we update our previously reported experience. From April 1998 through July 2008, 20 patients underwent 21 cardiac autotransplantations for complex left-sided cardiac tumors that were nonresectable by traditional means. Demographics, tumor histology, operative data, and mortality rates were analyzed. Followup was complete in all patients. Of the 20 patients, 17 had malignant lesions, and 3 had benign disease. Two patients had left ventricular lesions and the rest had left atrial lesions. Histology showed 7 malignant fibrous histiocytomas, 5 undifferentiated sarcomas, 3 leiomyosarcomas, 1 malignant osteosarcoma, 1 myxoid sarcoma, 2 paragangliomas, and 1 myxoma. Fourteen patients had previous resection of their cardiac tumors, and 1 patient had repeat autotransplantation for recurrent disease. There were no operative deaths in patients undergoing autotransplantation alone (0/15), and 3 operative deaths in patients undergoing combined cardiac autotransplantation and pneumonectomy (3/6, 50%). All 3 patients with benign disease survived surgery and are alive without recurrent disease. Local recurrence occurred in 3/18 patients with malignant disease: 1 underwent successful repeat autotransplantation and 2 are receiving chemotherapy. The mean survival for all patients with sarcoma is 22 months. Cardiac autotransplantation enables complete resection and accurate reconstruction in many primary malignant and complex benign left-heart tumors.