Lung transplant for interstitial lung disease: outcomes for single versus bilateral lung transplantation

Interact Cardiovasc Thorac Surg. 2012 Mar;14(3):263-7. doi: 10.1093/icvts/ivr085. Epub 2011 Dec 16.

Abstract

This study was undertaken to evaluate outcomes for single (SLT) vs. bilateral lung transplantation (BLT) in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). One hundred and eleven patients with ILD who underwent lung transplantation between January 1993 and March 2009 were evaluated. Recipients with BLT were younger (43 ± 12 vs. 57 ± 7 years), and significantly more patients with non-idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) received BLT (50%) vs. patients with IPF (18%). BLT recipients had a significantly longer mean waitlist time (240 vs. 125 days), significantly higher systolic (51 ± 18 vs. 40 ± 11 mmHg) pulmonary artery pressures, were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass more frequently (67 vs. 31%), had a higher incidence of primary graft dysfunction (63 vs. 17%), more frequently were given prolonged peri-operative inhaled nitric oxide and more frequently required prolonged post-operative mechanical ventilatory support (6.0 vs. 1.7 days). Additionally, BLT recipients had a significantly longer intensive care unit (8 vs. 4 days) and hospital (24 vs. 15 days) length of stay. We did not detect a difference in survival (Kaplan-Meier) for SLT vs. BLT. Our findings suggest that outcomes for SLT for patients with ILD are comparable or somewhat superior to those for BLT, and short- and long-term survival are not significantly different for the two procedures.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft Rejection / epidemiology*
  • Graft Survival
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / surgery*
  • Lung Transplantation*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Primary Graft Dysfunction / epidemiology*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate / trends
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • United States / epidemiology
  • Waiting Lists