Thoracic organ transplants in the United States from October 1987 through December 1992: a report from the UNOS Scientific Registry for Organ Transplants.

1. In 1992, there were 2,171 heart, 48 heart-lung, and 535 lung transplants performed in the United States. The number of lung transplants increased by about 32% over 1991, whereas heart transplants only increased by about 2% over 1991. The number of heart-lung transplants decreased in 1992. 2. The number of programs performing heart and lung transplants has continued to increase: about 16% in heart and about 280% in lung, since 1988. 3. The most frequently reported primary indications for transplant were: coronary artery disease (44%) and cardiomyopathy (41%) in heart; cystic fibrosis (40%) in double lungs; emphysema/COPD (35%) in single lungs; and congenital/Eisenmenger's syndrome (36%) in heart-lung. 4. Between 1988 and 1992, the following groups showed significant increases for heart and lung transplants: pediatric transplants, non-White recipients, non-White donors, older donors, and local utilization. 5. For the entire period covered by this report, overall one-year patient survival rates were: heart 82.3%, single lung 70.1%, double lung 66.4%, and heart-lung 58.7%. There has been little change in one-year heart transplant survival rates during this time. Survival rates for lung and heart-lung transplants increased dramatically between 1988 and 1990, but have declined slightly since then.