Outpatient follow-up during the first year after heart transplantation, is it feasible?

Introduction: First year follow-up after heart transplantation requires invasive tests. Although patients used to be hospitalized for this purpose, ambulatory invasive procedures now offer the possibility of outpatient follow-up. The feasibility and security of this strategy is unknown. Methods: From 2007 we transitioned to outpatient follow-up. We have retrospectively reviewed the clinical course of the outpatient group (2007 to 2014) and an inpatient group (2000-2006). Basal characteristics, hospital stay, infections, rejection episodes and vascular complications were evaluated. Results: 87 patients had Inpatient Follow-up (IF) and 98 Outpatient Follow-up (OF). Basal characteristics were similar, with significant differences in immunosuppression (tacrolimus IF 44.8% vs. OF 90.8%, and mycophenolate IF 86.2% vs OF 100%, both p values < 0.001) and age (IF 52 +/- 11.5 years vs. OF 56.1 +/- 11 years, p = 0.016). In the OF group more clinical visits were performed (IF 10 vs. OF 13, p < 0.001) while hospital stay was lower (IF 23 days vs. OF 3 days, p < 0.001). The rate of infection, rejection, and vascular complications was similar. No difference was found in 1-year mortality (IF 2.3% vs. 1.0%, p = 0.60). Conclusion: First year post-cardiac transplantation outpatient follow-up seems to be feasible and safe in terms of infection, rejection, vascular complications and mortality. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.