Organ Transplantation Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Organ Transplantation, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery.

Decortication after lung transplantation.

Boffa DJ, Mason DP, Su JW, Murthy SC, Feng J, McNeill AM, Budev MM, Mehta AC, Pettersson GB

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA.

BACKGROUND: Compromise of a pulmonary allograft by restrictive or infectious pleural-space pathology may be amenable to surgical intervention; however, the role of decortication in this patient population has not yet been substantiated. To address this issue, indications and outcomes of decortication after lung transplantation were examined at our institution. METHODS: From February 1990 to December 2006, 553 patients underwent lung transplantation; postoperative decortications were performed 27 times in 24 patients (4.3%). RESULTS: Indications for decortication included presumed empyema (15), loculated effusion (7), hemothorax (3), and fibrothorax (2). Decortication was performed at a median of 81 days after transplantation (range, 12 days to 7.8 years). Complete lung reexpansion was achieved after 19 of 27 decortications (70%). Infection was cleared from the pleural space in 9 of 15 empyema patients (64%). Survivals at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after decortication were 85%, 73%, 65%, and 60%, respectively. Operative mortality (30-day or in-hospital) was 23%, and median length of stay was 19 days. CONCLUSIONS: Decortication may alleviate the compromise of a transplanted lung by restrictive or infectious pleural-space disease, but operative risk is substantial.

Published 22 February 2008 in Ann Thorac Surg, 85(3): 1039-43.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Organ Transplantation Research Today. All Rights Reserved.