[Mortality analysis of patients undergoing lung transplantation for emphysema].

BACKGROUND: The outcomes of lung transplantation 11 years after starting the transplantation program in our hospital are presented. Risk factors associated with short-, medium-, and long-term mortality in transplant recipients were analyzed.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients diagnosed with emphysema who underwent lung transplantation between March 1997 and June 2008 were included. The association between different study variables and early death and death at 1 year and 5 years was studied. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze survival. A logistic regression model was used to study the association between early death and variables with a trend towards significance (P<.2) in the univariate analysis. The risk factors for mortality at 1 year and 5 years were analyzed by a Cox regression model.

RESULTS: A total of 92 patients were included. Survival was 89.3%, 70%, and 54% at 1 month, 1 year, and 5 years after transplantation, respectively. Dehiscence of the surgical suture (P<.001), duration of mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (P=.04), duration of the surgical procedure (P<.001), and single-lung transplantation (P=.007) were the variables associated with mortality. Extracorporeal circulation and the need for hemodiafiltration in the intensive care unit increased the short-term risk of death (P<.05). The age of the recipient was the variable associated with long-term mortality (P=.02). The duration of the surgical intervention was associated with an increase in short-, medium-, and long-term mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Complications were responsible for short-term mortality, while age of the recipient was the most important factor in determining long-term survival. Mortality was higher in single-lung transplant recipients compared to double-lung transplant recipients.