Living-donor lobar lung transplantation provides similar survival to cadaveric lung transplantation even for very ill patients

Living-donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLT) has been performed as a life-saving procedure for critically ill patients who are unlikely to survive the long wait for cadaveric lungs. The purpose of this study was to compare the preoperative condition and outcome of LDLLT patients with those of conventional cadaveric lung transplantation (CLT) patients. A new lung transplant programme was established in 2008 at Kyoto University. Between June 2008 and January 2014, we performed 79 lung transplants, including 42 LDLLTs (10 single, 32 bilateral) and 37 CLTs (22 single, 15 bilateral). Data collected included pre- and perioperative variables and mid-term survival. All data were analysed retrospectively as of January 2014. The majority of patients were female (57.1%) in the LDLLT group and male (64.9%) in the CLT group. The average age was similar (36.6 +/- 20.7 vs 39.7 +/- 12.6 years, P = 0.42) between the two groups. Preoperatively, interstitial lung disease was more common in LDLLT patients than in CLT patients (47.6 vs 24.3%, P = 0.048); prior haematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed more often in LDLLT patients than in CLT patients (33.3 vs 13.5%, P = 0.040) and there were more steroid-dependent LDLLT patients than CLT patients (64.3 vs 29.7%, P = 0.0022). Based on preoperative criteria of lower body mass index (17.2 +/- 4.0 vs 19.3 +/- 3.3 kg/m(2), P = 0.013), less ambulatory ability (42.9 vs 86.5%, P = 0.0001) and more ventilator dependence (11.9 vs 2.7%, P = 0.12), LDLLT patients were more debilitated than CLT patients. LDLLT patients required longer postoperative mechanical ventilation than CLT patients (15.6 +/- 16.2 vs 8.5 +/- 8.1 days, P = 0.025). However, 1- and 3-year survival rates were similar between the two groups (89.7 and 86.1% vs 88.3 and 83.1%, P = 0.55). All living donors returned to their previous lifestyles without restriction. Although LDLLT patients were in a worse preoperative condition than CLT patients, LDLLT patients demonstrated survival rates similar to CLT patients. LDLLT is a viable option for patients too ill to survive a long waiting time for cadaveric donors.