Search

Heart-lung transplantation is a mature therapy but has perioperative complications, such as phrenic nerve dysfunction and mediastinal bleeding. We report our technical modifications to simplify the procedure., (Copyright © 2023 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Problematic mitral regurgitation (MR) may develop following lung transplantation (LTx). There is limited information on the management of MR in LTx patients, as such we sought to evaluate our centre's experience., Methods: From 2000 to 2019, 1,054 patients underwent LTx at our centre (896 bilateral, 158 single). We identified patients in whom significant MR developed at any point post-LTx. The aetiology of MR, management and outcome were retrospectively analysed., Results: Eight (8) patients developed severe MR post-LTx, six following bilateral LTx and two following single LTx. Lung transplantation indications included interstitial lung disease (n=5), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (n=2) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (n=1). Severe MR occurred intraoperatively (n=1), postoperative day 1 (n=1) with the remaining six cases between 80 and 263 days post-LTx. The aetiology was noted to be due to severe left ventricular dysfunction following unmasking of a chronically pulmonary hypertension-related under-preloaded left ventricle in one case, and in the remaining seven patients causes included myxomatous degeneration, ischaemic MR, and functional MR due to annular dilatation. In the patient with intraoperative severe MR, the MR became mild with veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) and in the remaining seven patients a variety of procedures were used, including mitral valve repair, valve replacement and transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair. All patients survived the mitral procedure. Two (2) deaths occurred at 12.9 years (stroke) and 5 years (cancer) from mitral valve surgery., Conclusions: Development of significant mitral valve regurgitation is a rare but morbid complication after lung transplantation. This may represent the progressive natural history of pre-existing degenerative mitral valve disease and rarely, early after transplantation may be related to changes in ventricular geometry. Management of severe MR can follow the same management approach as in the non-transplant community, with the expectation of similarly good results., (Copyright © 2021 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: A donor arterial PO 2 /FiO 2 (P/F ratio) of less than the 300 threshold would frequently result in either exclusion of the donor or placement of the lungs on ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP). The aim was to investigate the veracity of the P/F ratio threshold of 300 for donor lung acceptability., Methods: In 93 brain dead lung donors, arterial blood gases were drawn in the intensive care unit (ICU) just before procurement and each of the 4 donor pulmonary veins in the operating room (OR). No donor lungs were rejected for transplantation based on the last ICU or OR P/F ratio, and EVLP was not used. The recipients were followed up 6 and 12 months following transplantation., Results: There were 93 recipients of bilateral lung transplantation. An arterial P/F ratio of < 300 was largely driven by a low P/F ratio in the lower lobes. There were no differences between the recipients receiving donor lungs where the ICU P/F ratio was < 300 compared with ≥ 300 in the time to extubation, grade of primary graft dysfunction, pulmonary function at 6 and 12 months, and 12-month survival., Conclusions: From this study:(1) If a donor P/F threshold of 300 was adhered to, 36% would have been rejected, and (2) The donor P/F ratio threshold of 300 is excessively conservative and results in the wastage of donor lungs and the application of unnecessary EVLP., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

There is an ever increasing demand for donor lungs in patients waiting for transplantation. Lungs of many potential donors will be rejected if the standard criteria for donor assessment are followed. We have expanded our donor lung pool by accepting marginal donors and establishing a donation after circulatory death program. We have achieved comparable results using marginal donors and accepting donor lungs following donation after circulatory death. We present our assessment and technical guidelines on lung procurement taking into consideration an increasingly complex cohort of lung donors. These guidelines form the basis of the lung procurement training program involving surgical Fellows at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia., (Copyright © 2017 Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons (ANZSCTS) and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Primary graft dysfunction occurs in up to 25% of patients after lung transplantation. Contributing factors include ventilator-induced lung injury, cardiopulmonary bypass, ischaemia-reperfusion injury and excessive fluid administration. We evaluated the feasibility, safety and efficacy of an open-lung protective ventilation strategy aimed at reducing ventilator-induced lung injury. We enrolled adult patients scheduled to undergo bilateral sequential lung transplantation, and randomly assigned them to either a control group (volume-controlled ventilation with 5 cmH 2 O, positive end-expiratory pressure, low tidal volumes (two-lung ventilation 6 ml.kg -1 , one-lung ventilation 4 ml.kg -1 )) or an alveolar recruitment group (regular step-wise positive end-expiratory pressure-based alveolar recruitment manoeuvres, pressure-controlled ventilation set at 16 cmH 2 O with 10 cmH 2 O positive end-expiratory pressure). Ventilation strategies were commenced from reperfusion of the first lung allograft and continued for the duration of surgery. Regular PaO 2 /F I O 2 ratios were calculated and venous blood samples collected for inflammatory marker evaluation during the procedure and for the first 24 h of intensive care stay. The primary end-point was the PaO 2 /F I O 2 ratio at 24 h after first lung reperfusion. Thirty adult patients were studied. The primary outcome was not different between groups (mean (SD) PaO 2 /F I O 2 ratio control group 340 (111) vs. alveolar recruitment group 404 (153); adjusted p = 0.26). Patients in the control group had poorer mean (SD) PaO 2 /F I O 2 ratios at the end of the surgical procedure and a longer median (IQR [range]) time to tracheal extubation compared with the alveolar recruitment group (308 (144) vs. 402 (154) (p = 0.03) and 18 (10-27 [5-468]) h vs. 15 (11-36 [5-115]) h (p = 0.01), respectively). An open-lung protective ventilation strategy during surgery for lung transplantation is feasible, safe and achieves favourable ventilation parameters., (© 2017 The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.)

Introduction: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) is an evolving method for lung transplantation (LTx) with results comparable to donation after brain death (DBD)., Materials and Methods: DCD lung transplant program requires a systematic approach for an efficient utilization of hospital resources. The surgical techniques have been developed to minimize the ischemic time during lung procurement. We have presented our management protocol and the surgical techniques as used at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, Australia., Results: We have transplanted 92 recipients with lungs procured from 91 donors over an 8 year period from May 2006 to July 2014. This accounted for an extra 19% lung transplant operations performed during this time period. Operative mortality was 1% and 8 year survival was 71% in DCD lung recipients., Conclusions: DCD lung transplantation provides an additional significant pool of lung donors with satisfactory short and long term outcomes., (Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

To describe our experience to date of four children with end-stage lung disease who have been bridged with ECMO to successful lung transplantation in our institution. Between March 2006 and June 2012, a total of 21 pediatric patients successfully underwent lung transplantation within The Alfred's lung transplantation program. This included four children who were bridged on ECMO prior to transplantation according to the "ECMO bridge to transplant" protocol and whose clinical notes and outcomes were reviewed. Lung transplantation is an established life-saving treatment for patients with severe lung disease, but remains limited due to scarcity of suitable donor organs. This is a particular issue in the pediatric setting, where the smaller child waits disproportionately longer compared with adult patients for size-matched donor lungs. As ECMO has become more widely accepted, its use as a bridge to lung transplantation in pediatric patients with severe acute lung injury or end-stage chronic lung disease has been considered. The medical notes from the four pediatric patients were retrospectively reviewed. Our report describes excellent short- and medium-term outcomes in a small number of children who have been bridged to transplant on ECMO., (© 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The use of lobar transplantation and other size reduction techniques has allowed larger donor lungs to be utilized for smaller recipients who tend to have longer waiting times for transplantation. However, despite these advantages, the techniques have not been widely adopted. We outline the surgical and sizing issues associated with this technique., Methods: A retrospective review of 23 consecutive patients who received lung transplantation with anatomic lobar reduction was performed, focusing on surgical technique and outcomes., Results: All 23 patients received an anatomic lobar reduction of between 1 and 3 lobes. Survival analysis showed no difference between the lobar reduction cohort and the other historically comparable lung transplant patients from our institution (p=0.115). Percent predicted forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second at 3 months correlated with transplanted donor to recipient total lung capacity ratio, confirming the importance of correct sizing., Conclusions: Anatomic lobar reduction in lung transplantation is a safe and effective means of transplanting pediatric and small adult recipients, and urgently listed patients., (Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The use of and indications for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are expanding as its reliability improves with widely varying results reported. A retrospective review of 24 lung transplant recipients who required ECMO support postoperatively was performed with 13 patients requiring ECMO within the first 48 h ("early" group) and 11 requiring ECMO after seven d postoperatively ("late" group). The majority of early ECMO group had primary graft failure patients and the late ECMO group comprised patients with infection or non-specific graft failure. There were significant differences in outcomes between groups, with 10/13 in the early group and 4/11 in the late group successfully weaned from ECMO (p = 0.045). Six of the 13 patients in the early group and none of the late group survived to hospital discharge (p = 0.009). The late ECMO group had a much higher incidence of death owing to complications existing prior to institution of ECMO (essentially uncontrolled infection or organ failure). There were no differences in complications arising during ECMO between groups. Late institution of ECMO in lung transplant recipients for causes other than primary graft failure is associated with such poor survival that its use should be considered only in very select cases., (© 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine whether the type of preservation solution significantly alters outcomes in lung transplantation, with particular emphasis on primary graft dysfunction and mortality., Methods: Data on 310 consecutive lung transplant patients, which were prospectively collected, were analyzed. The main outcome variables were all-cause mortality and primary graft dysfunction. Patients were grouped according to donor organ preservation solution, either Euro-Collins, Papworth solution or Perfadex. Multivariate analysis with an additional sensitivity analysis utilizing a propensity score for the use of Papworth solution was performed., Results: Papworth solution was associated with significantly increased mortality compared with the other preservation solutions [odds ratio (OR) = 2.36 (1.21 to 4.58), p = 0.01]. Perfadex was associated with a reduced incidence of primary graft dysfunction at 48 hours (OR = 0.23 [0.08 to 0.68], p = 0.008). Increasing donor age was also associated with increased risk of death (OR = 1.03 [1.01 to 1.04], p = 0.004)., Conclusion: Papworth solution for donor lung preservation is associated with an increased mortality in lung transplant recipients., (Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cadaveric lobar lung transplantation (CLLTx) represents a potential opportunity to address the bias against smaller recipients, especially children, on transplant waiting lists. The widespread use of CLLTx is hindered by the paucity of outcome data with respect to early complications and long-term lung function and survival., Methods: We looked at the long-term outcomes in 9 patients undergoing CLLTx since May 2003, including early surgical complications, pulmonary function tests, and survival. Patients were analyzed by whether the decision to perform CLLTx was elective (made at the time of listing) or emergent (surgical decision)., Results: The incidence of early complications in the entire group was low, with the most common being atrial arrhythmias and prolonged thoracostomy tube. Lung function at 1 and 2 years (mean forced expiratory volume in 1 second % predicted +/- standard deviation of 73 +/- 18 and 60.5 +/- 27, respectively) was equivalent to living lobar transplant results. Overall survival was similar to 199 patients who received conventional cadaveric LTx during the same period., Conclusion: This study suggests that CLLTx has a low complication rate with acceptable lung function and long-term survival, especially in cases where consideration has been given to CLLTx at the time of listing. CLLTx warrants consideration more often for patients of smaller physique to improve their chance of receiving LTx.

Objective: Aprotinin has been widely used to reduce bleeding and transfusion requirements in cardiac surgery and in lung transplantation. A recent study found a significant reduction in severe (grade III) primary graft dysfunction (PGD) in lung transplantation where aprotinin had been used. However, recently, concerns regarding the safety of aprotinin have been raised, and the future use of aprotinin is uncertain. In our institution, aprotinin has been widely used in cardiac surgery and transplantation. We decided to review our lung transplant caseload to investigate the impact of aprotinin on PGD and mortality and to guide our future clinical use of this antifibrinolytic., Methods: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data on 213 consecutive patients who underwent single- or double-lung transplantation was performed. Ninety-nine patients, who received aprotinin, were compared with 114 patients who did not. The main outcome variables analysed were development of primary graft dysfunction, renal impairment and mortality., Results: Aprotinin was associated with a significantly increased risk of PGD in the first 48 h postoperatively (p=0.01)., Conclusions: In conclusion, although the benefits of aprotinin on blood loss are well established, this study does not provide support for the use of aprotinin to reduce PGD in lung transplantation and indicates that aprotinin may in fact have a detrimental effect., (Crown Copyright 2009. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Two children with advanced lung disease underwent successful cadaveric bilateral lobar lung transplantation, using lungs "cut down" from deceased adult donors - the first reported use of the technique in Australia. This approach, while it cannot address the lack of donor organs, may enable us to redress any size bias limiting paediatric lung transplantation.