ABO-incompatible heart transplantation: Analysis of the Pediatric Heart Transplant Study (PHTS) database

In center and risk adjusted analysis, young children who received an ABOi transplant had equivalent one-year survival and freedom from rejection compared with those who received an ABOc transplant. In spite of the favorable outcome for ABOi recipients, many centers appear to reserve ABOi transplantation for sicker patients. These data mandate reexamination of the current United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policy that gives priority to ABOc over ABOi transplantation in the United States.