Transplanted stents: a case report

BACKGROUND: An optimal donor work-up to exclude preexisting conditions is recommended, but urgency and technical equipment in donor centers must be considered. We report a case of two coronary stents present in the donor heart and the related long-term outcome. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year-old European male patient suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy with severely reduced left ventricular function and presenting with NYHA III underwent cardiac transplantation in 2004. At the one-year follow-up, during routine cardiac catheterization, two stents were found, one in the right coronary artery and one in the circumflex artery, in the patient’s transplanted heart. As no stent implantation was performed since transplantation, these were present prior to transplantation and had been transplanted without causing clinical signs. One of the stents showed in-stent restenosis, and the patient received an additional stent 7 years after transplantation. The other stent still showed a good result, and no further intervention has been required so far. The patient is currently in good clinical condition. CONCLUSION: This is the first case report of favorable long-term stented coronary arteries prior to transplantation. This case highlights the importance of the donor work-up and meticulous palpation of the coronary arteries during donor evaluation.