Background: The Lower and Shumway technique has been the gold standard for orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) for the past 35 years. In the last decade the bicaval and total techniques have been introduced but it is unclear how these alternative techniques have influenced the current surgical practice of OHT.
Methods: A worldwide survey of 210 International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation centers was conducted by questionnaire: 169 replies were received; a response rate of 80%.
Results: Seventy-four centers (44%) use a combination of more than one technique with the remaining centers (n = 95 centers) employing one technique exclusively. The bicaval technique is the most frequently used technique in the majority of transplant procedures in 92 (54%) centers. In only 38 centers (22%), the standard technique was the most frequently employed technique. The total technique was the choice in 8 centers (5%). The maximum acceptable ischemic time varied from 3 to 9 hours with a median of 5.7 hours. Only 92 centers (54%) do not use cardioplegia during implantation.
Conclusions: Since its introduction, the bicaval technique has become the most commonly used procedure for OHT. The long-term advantage of right atrial preservation with the bicaval technique will require further studies.