A recent study led by pediatric heart specialists at Duke Health has found that living heart valves, used in partial heart transplants, may be effective for a range of pediatric heart valve conditions. The research followed 19 children who received the procedure, which involves using living valves from donor hearts.
The findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on August 27. The study showed that these transplanted valves functioned well across various diagnoses and grew as the children developed.
“This study shows that partial heart transplantation is not just a one-time success – it’s a versatile option that can be used across a range of heart conditions,” said Joseph Turek, M.D., Ph.D., corresponding author and chief of pediatric cardiac surgery at Duke Health.
“We’re seeing valves that grow, function well, and require less immunosuppressant medication than a full heart transplant,” Turek added. “That’s a huge win for these kids and their families.”
Duke Health previously performed the world’s first partial heart transplant in 2022 and later completed the first living mitral valve replacement. For this latest research, patients ranged from newborns to teenagers with different conditions such as truncus arteriosus and Tetralogy of Fallot. All patients had healthy valve function during follow-up, with no need for reoperation due to valve failure.
In one case highlighted by researchers, a child stopped taking anti-rejection medication because of an unrelated infection but continued to have normal valve growth and function.
“This case gives us hope that some children may not need lifelong immunosuppression,” said Douglas Overbey, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine. “That’s important because these medications can cause serious side effects over time,” Overbey said. “If we can reduce or even eliminate the need for them, it’s a major step forward.”
Partial heart transplant remains an emerging treatment approach. Researchers note that further studies are needed to determine its long-term outcomes.
Duke University Hospital is located in Durham, North Carolina. Founded in 1925, it operates a pediatric ward and serves as a training hospital under current president Craig T. Albanese; according to its 2022 annual report, it admitted more than 41,000 patients for treatment during that year (https://www.dukehealth.org/hospitals/duke-university-hospital).
The preclinical work was supported by funding from the Brett Boyer Foundation and the Graeme McDaniel Foundation.
