Impact of donor and recipient sex on outcome

Purpose of review The impact of donor and recipient sex on outcome after heart transplantation (HTx) is discussed controversially. Therefore, the recent findings in this field were reviewed. Recent findings The combination male recipient/female donor increases the risk for early mortality, whereas other sex constellations yield similar outcomes after HTx. In the long-term follow-up, survival of female recipients is superior, especially in the combination female recipient/female donor. Female recipients of male donor hearts are more susceptible to cellular rejection episodes. Their superior long-term outcome, however, is not affected by that. Summary Sex matching in HTx, although desirable, is not always possible without prolonging waiting times for the desired donor heart. The combination female donor-male recipient should be evaluated with caution.