The Impact of the New State Body for Transplantation on Lung Transplantation Waiting List Mortality

Introduction Organ Donation Transplant Ireland (ODTI) was established in 2014 to provide leadership and governance of the transplant programme in Ireland. We aim to establish if the implementation of ODTI translates into a decrease in waiting list mortality. Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients listed for lung transplantation on the Irish Heart and Lung Transplant Programme, between January 2011 and December 2016, was performed. We compared mortality on the waiting list before and after the establishment of ODTI. Results During the study period, a total of 259 patients were on the lung transplant list. Sixty percent of patients underwent lung transplantation. Following establishment of ODTI, there was a statistically significant reduction of waiting list mortality from 46% in the era prior to ODTI to 33% after ODTI formation (p=0.02). Conclusion This study demonstrates the establishment of the governing body ODTI reduced mortality on the lung transplant waiting list.