Survival after bilateral versus single-lung transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND

Patients with end-stage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are increasingly having bilateral rather than single-lung transplantation.

OBJECTIVE

To compare survival after single and bilateral lung transplantation in patients with IPF.

DESIGN

Analysis of data from the United Network of Organ Sharing registry.

SETTING

Transplantation centers in the United States.

PATIENTS

3327 patients with IPF who had single (2146 patients [64.5%]) or bilateral (1181 patients [35.5%]) lung transplantation between 1987 and 2009.

MEASUREMENTS

Survival times and causes of death after lung transplantation. Selection bias was accounted for by multivariate risk adjustment, propensity score risk adjustment, and propensity-based matching.

RESULTS

Median survival time was longer after bilateral lung transplantation than single-lung transplantation (5.2 years [CI, 4.3 to 6.7 years] vs. 3.8 years [CI, 3.6 to 4.1 years]; P < 0.001). However, survival times for the 2 procedures did not differ after adjustment for baseline differences, with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality with bilateral transplantation ranging from 0.89 (95% CI, 0.79 to 1.02) to 0.96 (CI, 0.77 to 1.20) in different analyses. Bilateral lung transplantation seemed to result in harm within the first year (HR, 1.18 [CI, 0.98 to 1.42]) but survival benefit thereafter (HR, 0.72 [CI, 0.59 to 0.87]). Primary graft failure was a more common cause of death among patients who had bilateral rather than single-lung transplantation (3.7% vs. 1.9%; P = 0.002). Cancer was a more common cause of death among patients who had single rather than bilateral lung transplantation (unadjusted HR for death among single vs. bilateral transplant recipients, 3.60 [CI, 2.16 to 6.05]; P <0.001).

LIMITATION

Causes of death were ascertained without an adjudication committee and must be interpreted cautiously.

CONCLUSION

Survival did not differ between patients who had single and bilateral lung transplantation. Single-lung transplantation confers short-term survival benefit but long-term harm, whereas bilateral transplantation confers short-term harm but long-term survival benefit.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

None.