En Bloc Heart-Lung Transplantation: Past and Present. A Systematic Review

En bloc heart-lung transplantation (HLTx) has been utilized for the past 50 years for the treatment of end-stage heart and lung disease, with significant evolution in the field over that time. This is a systematic review of HLTx and a description of the evolution and outcomes in this patient population.

Pubmed and Embase were searched for all articles on HLTx from the time of database inception. A total of 1513 articles were screened, and after exclusion, 29 were included in this systematic review.

Reported cases of HLTx were more common in the early era (before 2000), for the indications of cystic fibrosis, Eisenmenger's syndrome, and pulmonary hypertension. In the contemporary era (2000-present), patients were not as commonly transplanted for cystic fibrosis, with pulmonary hypertension and congenital heart disease comprising the majority of cases. Rates of short-term mortality tended to be lower in more recent studies, with only recent studies reporting long-term survival.

HLTx has evolved substantially. In tandem with isolated heart and lung transplantation, the indications for transplant, medical therapy, and outcomes have changed over time. While HLTx is used less frequently in contemporary times compared to the early days of cardiothoracic transplantation, indications for HLTx continue to exist, and the use of HLTx will continue to be indicated. Centers with experience in HLTx should continue to report trends in patient management and outcomes, to continue to guide continued refinement in the field of HLTx.