Pericardial Closure Using Donor Pericardium in Deceased-Donor Lung Transplantation

The optimal method of pericardial closure in lung transplantation remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility and procedural simplicity of pericardial closure using donor pericardium.

We retrospectively reviewed 70 adult patients who underwent deceased-donor bilateral lung transplantation with cardiopulmonary bypass or central extracorporeal membrane oxygenation between December 2010 and January 2024 at Kyoto University Hospital. Patients were divided into the Donor pericardium group (n = 21) and the Autologous tissue group (n = 49). Pericardial closure time was assessed as an indicator of procedural simplicity, and postoperative complications within 1 year were descriptively evaluated.

Baseline characteristics did not differ between the groups. Mean pericardial closure time was significantly shorter in the Donor pericardium group than in the Autologous tissue group (13 ± 2.4 vs 19 ± 1.6 min, P = 0.03). No clinically concerning differences in postoperative complications were observed during short- to mid-term follow-up.

Pericardial closure using donor pericardium enables technically simpler and faster closure without apparent short-term safety concerns.