Early outcome after single vs bilateral lung transplantation in older recipients.
BACKGROUND
Lung transplantation (LT) has been increasingly performed in patients older than 60 years. The outcome of LT in this recipient age group has not been extensively analyzed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the early death (30 days) in LT recipients older than 60 years according to the type of procedure, that is, single vs bilateral LT.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed our experience with older recipients between January 1999 and August 2007. Probability of survival was compared using the two-tailed Fisher exact test. The odds ratio for death at 30 days was estimated using multiple logistic regression.


RESULTS
During the study, 167 LT procedures were performed in 164 patients, of whom 51 (30.5%) were aged 60 years or older (age range, 60-70 years; mean [SD], 63.3 [2.4] years). Thirty-seven recipients aged 60 years or older underwent single LT, and 14 underwent bilateral LT. The 30-day survival was 81% (95% confidence interval [CI], 65%-92%) in patients who underwent single LT, and 92% (95% CI, 64%-100%) in patients who underwent bilateral LT. No differences were observed in the survival probability between the two groups (P = .42). Logistic regression analysis for death at 30 days showed an odds ratio of 1.10 (95% CI, 0.08-14.5; P = .94) in the unilateral LT group.


CONCLUSIONS
Early survival in LT recipients aged 60 years or older who underwent bilateral LT was comparable with that in who underwent single LT. The type of procedure is not a predictor of death in this age group. Recipients older than 60 years should not be excluded from consideration for bilateral LT.
Miñambres
E
E
Intensive Care Service, Hospital Universitario Marques de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain. CIBER Epidemiología Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain.
Llorca
J
J
Suberviola
B
B
Naranjo
S
S
Zurbano
F
F
González-Castro
Alejandro
A
D000368:Aged; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D017741:Survivors