Same-teams versus different-teams for long distance lung procurement: A cost analysis.

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Transplant Surgery
• Health Economics

Background:

• Broader lung sharing necessitates efficient procurement logistics.
• Different-team transplantation (DT) may streamline logistics but its safety and cost-effectiveness are unclear.
• Lung transplantation (LTx) costs are a significant concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare posttransplant outcomes and costs between DT and same-team transplantation (ST).
• To determine if DT reduces lung transplant costs without compromising patient outcomes.
• To evaluate the safety and economic implications of DT.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of lung transplant recipients between January 2016 and May 2020.
• Matched cohorts of DT (n=23) and ST (n=69) recipients based on key recipient characteristics.
• Comparison of perioperative outcomes, posttransplant survival, and procurement/hospitalization costs.

Main Results:

• Perioperative outcomes and posttransplant survival were similar between DT and ST groups.
• DT was associated with similar lung procurement and index hospitalization costs compared to ST.
• DT demonstrated cost-savings with increasing procurement travel distance, particularly beyond 363 nautical miles.

Conclusions:

• DT and ST yield comparable post-lung transplant outcomes.
• DT can offer cost-savings, especially for longer organ procurement distances.
• DT may alleviate logistical and financial burdens in lung procurement, warranting further multi-institutional study.