Long-term prostacyclin infusion to reduce pulmonary hypertension in a pediatric cardiac transplant candidate prior to transplantation

Pulmonary hypertension represents a significant risk factor for peri-operative death in patients undergoing cardiac transplantation. Heart-lung transplantation is generally the only procedure available for patients whose pulmonary hypertension can not be reversed by conventional pharmacologic means. We present a pediatric patient with end-stage cardiac disease and refractory pulmonary hypertension who was treated with long-term intravenous prostacyclin. This resulted in a significant enough improvement in her hemodynamics to allow for successful cardiac transplantation alone.