Donor and recipient age matching in lung transplantation: A retrospective study

This study aimed to clarify the effect of donor and recipient age combinations on the short-term survival rates of patients undergoing lung transplantation.

We retrospectively reviewed the 2017-2020 data of the Affiliated Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University database for all adults (≥18 years), lung transplant recipients, and their associated donors. The impact of donor and recipient ages on survival was analyzed using a multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model. Subgroup analysis was also performed based on recipient and donor ages.

Different donor and recipient age combinations affected the short-term postoperative survival rates. When recipients were ≤55 years, the survival rates of the younger donor age group were significantly higher than the older donor age group at 30 days after surgery (P = 0.040); when the donors were ≤40 years, the postoperative survival rates of the younger recipient age group were significantly higher than the older recipient age group (P = 0.031, P = 0.026, P = 0.034, and P = 0.018 for 30 days, 90 days, 180 days, and 1 year after surgery, respectively).

Younger recipients had a higher survival rate after transplantation than older recipients, and this benefit could be compromised by older donors. Furthermore, the influence of donor age on patient survival rate was limited and more pronounced in younger recipients and shortly after surgery.