Effect of Bronchoscopic Interventions on Long-Term Lung Function Among Lung Transplant Recipients due to Cystic...

Patients with end-stage lung disease owing to cystic fibrosis may require lung transplant, provided other therapeutic options were exhausted. During the posttransplant period, bronchial anastomoses' healing may sometimes be complicated and require bronchoscopic intervention (BI). The main aim of this study was to assess BI and its effect on long-term lung function among cystic fibrosis lung transplant recipients who have reached 2-year survival.

This retrospective study includes 22 patients with cystic fibrosis who underwent primary double lung transplant in a single center between 2018 and 2020 and have checked in for their 2-year follow-up visit. BI is defined as performing endoscopic bronchoplasty through balloon dilatation, cryoprobe, argon plasma, and/or laser treatment.

All patients, who did not require BI during the first year, did not need bronchoplasty during the second posttransplant year as well. Results of forced expiratory volume in 1 second as percentage of predicted value and the 6-minute walk distance were similar at 2-year follow-up to those obtained at the end of 1 year for all patients. Significant time effects were observed for forced vital capacity (FVC) (weak effect), FVC as percentage of predicted value (weak effect), and forced expiratory volume in 1 second/FVC (moderate effect).

Patients who had never had bronchoscopic intervention owing to airway stenosis, as well as those who did in the first posttransplant year, maintained forced expiratory volume in 1 second as percentage of predicted value at a comparable level at the second posttransplant year follow-up visit. The number of BIs significantly decreased among patients, who were undergoing such procedures during the first posttransplant year.