Lung transplant: the Western Australian experience

The Western Australian lung transplant programme commenced in 2004 to serve the growing demand of patients with end-stage lung disease.

This report summarises our 11-year experience in lung transplantation.

Data on 115 consecutive patients and their respective donors transplanted between 2004 and 2015 were collected. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival. Cox regression was used to analyse the impact of donor and recipient characteristics on survival.

A total of 88 bilateral, 22 single-lung and 5 heart-lung transplants were performed in Western Australia during the first 11 years of the lung transplant programme. The most common indications for transplantation were interstitial lung disease (30.4%), cystic fibrosis (27.8%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (excluding alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency) (22.6%). Median recipient age was 50 years. Overall survival rates were 96% at 3 months, 93% at 1 year, 84% at 3 years and 70% at 5 years. Older age and higher BMI negatively impacted survival. Chronic lung allograft dysfunction was the leading cause of late mortality.

Lung transplantation is a treatment option in end-stage lung disease, with annual transplant rates in Western Australia continuing to rise. Our patients enjoy survival rates that compare favourably against international standards.