Bronchial healing after living-donor lobar lung transplantation

Purpose: To review the outcome of bronchial healing after living-donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLT). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 87 anastomoses in 45 consecutive patients who underwent LDLLT, and 14 anastomoses in 10 consecutive patients who underwent cadaveric lung transplantation (CLT), between October 1998 and September 2007. Bronchial anastomosis complications that required intervention were defined as "airway complications" (ACs). Results: There were no significant differences in the background characteristics of the LDLLT and CLT recipients. Airway complications developed in 2 (2.2%) of the 87 anastomoses in the LDLLT group and in 3 (21.4%) of the 14 anastomoses in the CLT group (P = 0.018). The donors of the LDLLT grafts were significantly younger than the donors of the CLT grafts (38.3 years vs 46.1 years, respectively; P = 0.013). The ischemic graft times in the LDLLT and CLT groups were 136.9 min and 413.7 min, respectively (P < 0.0001). The periods of pretransplant ventilation in the LDLLT and CLT groups were 0 days and 4.5 days, respectively (P = 0.0083). Conclusion: Our study suggests that bronchial healing after LDLLT is acceptable.