ATS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Online Discussion
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Personal Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Author home page(s):
Bryan F. Meyers
Richard J. Battafarano
Joel D. Cooper
Right arrow Permission Requests
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Meyers, B. F.
Right arrow Articles by Patterson, G. A.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Meyers, B. F.
Right arrow Articles by Patterson, G. A.
Related Collections
Right arrowRelated Article

Ann Thorac Surg 2000;70:1675-1678
© 2000 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Original articles: general thoracic

Lung transplantation is warranted for stable, ventilator-dependent recipients

Bryan F. Meyers, MDa, John P. Lynch, MDb, Richard J. Battafarano, MDa, Tracey J. Guthrie, BSNb, Elbert P. Trulock, MDb, Joel D. Cooper, MDa, G. Alexander Patterson, MDa

a Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
b Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Address reprint requests to Dr Meyers, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 3108 Queeny Tower, One Barnes-Jewish Hospital Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63110-1013
e-mail: meyersb{at}msnotes.wustl.edu

Presented at the Thirty-sixth Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Jan 31–Feb 2, 2000.

Background. Lung transplantation for patients on ventilators is a controversial use of scarce donor lungs. We have performed 500 lung transplants in 12 years and 21 of these have been in ventilator-dependent patients.

Methods. A retrospective review of patient records and computerized database was performed. Living patients were contacted to confirm their health and functional status.

Results. Patients included 13 men and 8 women with a mean age of 43 years. Sixteen patients were considered stable awaiting lung transplant, whereas 5 patients were unstable with acute graft failure after prior lung transplantation. Stable patients had been ventilated for a mean of 57 ± 46 days whereas unstable patients had been supported for 10 ± 9 days. Half of the patients required cardiopulmonary bypass support during the transplant, and there was no statistical difference in the frequency of CPB in stable and unstable patients (p = 0.61). Three hospital deaths included 0 of 16 of the stable patients and 3 of 5 of the unstable patients (p = 0.01). Long-term actuarial survival was significantly better in stable versus unstable patients (p = 0.02), with 5-year survival 40% for stable patients and 0% for unstable patients.

Conclusions. Lung transplantation can be successfully conducted in stable patients who have become ventilator dependent after listing for transplantation. Acute retransplantation for early lung dysfunction is high risk and has produced poor long-term results.


Related Article

Discussion
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2000 70: 1678. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 ThoraxHome page
A T Jones, R M Du Bois, and A U Wells
The pulmonary physician in critical care * Illustrative case 2: Interstitial lung disease
Thorax, April 1, 2003; 58(4): 361 - 364.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
J. B. Zwischenberger, D. Wang, S. D. Lick, D. J. Deyo, S. K. Alpard, and S. D. Chambers
The paracorporeal artificial lung improves 5-day outcomes from lethal smoke/burn-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome in sheep
Ann. Thorac. Surg., October 1, 2002; 74(4): 1011 - 1018.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Ann. Thorac. Surg.Home page
S. D. Lick, J. B. Zwischenberger, D. Wang, D. J. Deyo, S. K. Alpard, and S. D. Chambers
Improved right heart function with a compliant inflow artificial lung in series with the pulmonary circulation
Ann. Thorac. Surg., September 1, 2001; 72(3): 899 - 904.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
ANN THORAC SURG ASIAN CARDIOVASC THORAC ANN EUR J CARDIOTHORAC SURG
J THORAC CARDIOVASC SURG ICVTS ALL CTSNet JOURNALS
Copyright © 2000 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.