Introduction: A heart transplant is the only effective therapeutic option open to many patients with severe heart failure and performing such an intervention is not free of complications. Little is known about the risk factors for neurological complications after a heart transplant.
Aims: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for neurological complications following a heart transplant and, more especially, those associated with epileptic seizures, encephalopathy, cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) and headaches.
Patients and methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the records of 205 orthotopic heart transplant patients and collected clinical, haemodynamic and laboratory data before, during and after the intervention, using a standardised protocol.
Results: 95 patients (48%) presented neurological complications. Their frequencies were as follows: encephalopathy (16.6%), epileptic seizures (13.6%), neuromuscular disorders (10.6%), headaches (10.6%), CVA (10.1%), psychiatric disorders (2.2%) and infection of the central nervous system (2.2%). The risk factors for encephalopathy were post-transplant renal failure (RR: 4.6; CI 95%: 1.4-15), post-transplant hepatic failure (RR: 5.6; CI 95%: 1.5-22) and pre-transplant haemodynamic instability (RR: 4.3; CI 95%: 1.3-14); for epileptic seizures they were a cardiac index of < or = 2 L/min/m2 (RR: 23.8; CI 95%: 2-247) and extracorporeal circulation time > or = 115 min (RR: 11.3; CI 95%: 1-79); and for CVA the risk factor was post-transplant hepatic failure (RR: 12.9; CI 95%: 2.5-66).
Conclusions: Neurological complications often occur after a transplant and are transient. Perioperative haemodynamic instability giving rise to cerebral ischemia and the metabolic disorders secondary to multiple organ failure are determining factors of encephalopathy, epileptic seizures and CVA.