Next steps in heart transplantation: Diagnosing and treating PGD, where are we?

In this issue of the Journal of Cardiac Surgery, Settepani et al. perform a single center analysis of clinical outcomes for primary graft dysfunction (PGD) in patients undergoing orthotopic heart transplantation. The results of this study underscore the necessity to be proactive in the attempt to prevent PGD to give transplant recipients the best chance at a positive outcome. Further study of PGD should be directed to better understand the underlying pathophysiology and potentially lead to such targeted therapeutic management.