Trasplante pulmonar en el Instituto Nacional del Tórax. Resultados a 12 años de inicio del programa

Abstract

Introduction: Lung transplantation (LT) is a therapeutic option for patients with advanced lung diseases. Objective: To assess outcomes and survival of LT patients at the Chilean National Thoracic Institute. Methods: A descriptive study of LT clinical records from August 2010 to December 2022. Results: A total of 109 transplants were performed. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) (61.5%), non-IPF interstitial lung disease (ILD; 11.9%), and Cystic Fibrosis (CF; 10.1%) were the main pri­mary diagnostic indications for LT. At the time of LT, 34.8% were hospitalized, and 25.7% underwent national emergency transplant. The primary surgical complication was airway-related (18.3%) Within the first year post-LT, the most important medical complications were infections (77%) and acute graft rejections (28%). Beyond the first year post-LT, viral infections (40.3%) and chronic graft dysfunction (29%) were predominant. The leading causes of death were chronic rejection (40.4%), infections (26.3%), and neoplasms (10.5%). Overall survival rate 1 - 5 and 10 years post-LT was 84.8%, 60%, and 31.5%, respectively. Conclusions: The primary diagnostic indications for LT were ILD and CF, with favorable short and medium-term results. The leading causes of death were chronic rejection and infections.