title: Urgent lung transplantation in cystic fibrosis patients: experience of a French center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report preliminary results obtained with urgent lung transplantation (ULTx) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, based on a French high emergency lung allocation (HELA) system, and the impact of this system on waiting-list death.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of the first 15 CF patients receiving ULTx between June 2007 and May 2010 at Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, France, were retrospectively reviewed. ULTx patients (URG group, n=15) were compared with our entire cohort of CF patients receiving elective lung transplants (LTx) (ELT group, n=118).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups were similar in terms of use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU), and intubation > 72 h. Incidence of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) and perioperative mortality was also similar in both groups, but graft ischemic time and severity of PGD were higher in the URG group. One-year and 2.5-year survival rates were, respectively, 73% and 54.5% for the URG group. Death on the waiting list and time to LTx (including all pulmonary diagnoses) decreased by 67% and 64%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although still preliminary and with a short follow-up period, our results suggest that the allocation of LTx to CF patients based on the HELA criteria yielded acceptable outcomes and improved waiting-list death rate and time to LTx.
authors: Pôle Cardio-Thoracique, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou (HEGP), Paris, France. mauriciosaueressig@gmail.com
authors: Maurício Guidi
authors: MG
authors: Saueressig
authors: Sonia
authors: S
authors: Pelluau
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Sermet
authors: Redha
authors: R
authors: Souilamas