What Awaits on the Other Side: Post-Lung Transplant Morbidity and Mortality After Pre-Transplant Hospitalization

BACKGROUND: Morbidity and mortality rates after lung transplantation remain high compared to other solid organ transplants. In the lung allocation score era, patients given the highest priority on the waitlist are those with the greatest severity of illness, who often require preoperative hospitalization. MATERIAL/METHODS: To determine the association of pre-transplant hospitalization with post-transplant outcomes, we retrospectively evaluated 448 lung transplant recipients at our center between January 2010 and July 2017 (114 hospitalized; 334 outpatient). RESULTS: Survival was similar between the groups (hazard ratio 0.93 [95% CI 0.61 to 1.42], p=0.738). However, hospitalized patients had longer hospital and intensive care unit length of stay compared to outpatients – 25 vs. 18 days, (p<0.001) and 9.5 vs. 6 days, (p<0.001), respectively. Hospitalized patients had higher rates of Grade 3 primary graft dysfunction – 29.8% vs. 9.6%, p<0.001 – and remained mechanically ventilated longer – 6 vs. 3 days, p<0.001. A greater percentage of hospitalized patients needed a tracheostomy and a re-operation within 30 days – 39.5% vs. 15.3% (p<0.001) and 22.8% vs. 12.0% (p=0.005) – respectively. After discharge, 28% of hospitalized patients required acute rehabilitation compared with 12% of outpatients (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: While pre-transplant hospitalization is not associated with mortality, it is associated with significant morbidity after transplant.