Press release

A first for the H.U.B: a heart transplant on a patient with AL amyloidosis 

29/10/2026

Brussels, 29th of October 2026 – For the H.U.B, this heart transplant on a patient with AL amyloidosis marks major progress in treating the disease. Despite a complete haematological response to the treatment, the cardiac damage had become irreversible. Consequently, a heart transplant represented the best treatment option, offering the prospect of recovery and survival in the longer term.

Advances in treatment and a multidisciplinary approach have enabled the H.U.B to undertake the first heart transplant on a patient whose AL amyloidosis had been diagnosed and treated before the procedure. This progress brings new possibilities for patients suffering from this rare and serious disease.

A rare disease that can severely damage the heart

AL amyloïdosis is a rare haematological disease linked to the production of abnormal proteins, known as “light chains”. These are produced by certain bone marrow cells, known as plasma cells, which build up in the organs in the form of amyloids and that progressively impair their functioning. The heart and kidneys are particularly affected.

When these plasma cell deposits reach the heart muscle, the heart becomes stiffer and has difficulty filling with blood. The disease can then result in severe heart failure that can be irreversible.

For many years, the prognosis was particularly poor when the heart was severely affected. Today AL amyloidosis is benefiting from innovative treatment that permits a better control of the production of the proteins that cause the illness.

A complex and multidisciplinary treatment strategy

In the case of this patient, the treatment had permitted a complete haematological response with no detectable residual disease. However, the damage to the heart was too severe for it to again function sufficiently, despite administering the standard treatment for heart failure.

A transplant therefore represented a major treatment option, despite the particular challenge of controlling the underlying disease, as this is crucial in limiting the risk of deposits again building up in the transplanted heart.

Rigorous patient selection was essential to ensure that no other organs were seriously affected. Close collaboration between the teams specialising in haematology, advanced heart failure, heart surgery and anaesthesia and intensive care was vital. The teams also benefitted from discussions with cardiac amyloidosis specialists from the Henri-Mondor hospital, in France.

“This case illustrates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and the new possibilities offered by the latest advances in treatment. When the disease is under control but the damage to the heart is irreversible, a transplant can be an option for certain rigorously selected patients,” explains Dr Ornella Rizzo, a doctor specialising in plasma cell disorders within the H.U.B’s Department of Haematology.

An encouraging recovery and new perspectives

A few days after surgery, the patient was able to return home. His post-operative recovery is encouraging, with no longer presenting cardiorespiratory symptoms during the physical activities he can currently perform and continuing to recover under close medical supervision.

In addition to the improved cardiac function, the transplant also aims to reduce hospitalisations due to heart failure and to enable the patient to return progressively to a more normal daily life, personally, within the family environment and socially.

“A heart transplant aims to improve survival, reduce hospitalisations and enable the patient to enjoy a better quality of life. In the specific context of AL amyloidosis, the immunodepressive treatment, which is designed to prevent rejection of the transplanted heart, must be tailored to the patient’s individual circumstances,”, explains Professor Jean-Luc Vachiéry, Head of the Clinic for Pulmonary Vascular Diseases and Heart Failure within the Department of Cardiology at the Erasmus Hospital (H.U.B).

The transplant does not, however, cure the AL amyloïdosis. Regular haematological and cardiological follow up remain essential in monitoring the disease and the functioning of the transplanted heart.

This first at the H.U.B demonstrates how medical advances and collaboration across specialities can offer new treatment options for patients facing particularly complex medical situations.