Individuals with pulmonary fibrosis experienced better long-term outcomes with double lung transplantation compared with single lung transplantation up until age 70, according to a study published in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
Findings were assessed using a retrospective analysis of all pulmonary fibrosis lung transplants in the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) Database between 1987 and 2015 (9191 out of 29,779 total lung transplants). Post-transplant survival rates were determined using data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and Social Security.
The greatest survival benefit from double lung transplantation was seen in individuals with a mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) <25 mm Hg. Although survival was similar between single and double lung transplants at 1 year of follow-up, the rates shifted considerably later on.
