The Early Outcome of Lung Transplantation from Donors who Tested Positive for COVID-19

Newswise — The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have rumbled through every piece of society, and nowhere more dramatically than in the medical communities.

Takashi Harano, MD, and colleagues at Keck Medicine, University of Southern California, analyzed lung transplantation data from April 2020 to June 2022, to identify the early outcomes for patients who received lungs from COVID-19–positive donors. 

Of the 29,944 donors identified by the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing during that time, 1,297 were COVID-19 positive (4.3%). Lungs were transplanted from 47 donors.

The recipients of allografts from those 47 donors had higher Lung Allocation Scores and more frequently underwent double lung transplantation (43/47). The post-transplant length of hospital stay, needs of Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at 72 hours after transplantation, and survival outcomes were comparable between the two groups.

This study reports that carefully selected lung allografts from COVID-19–positive donors had comparable early post-transplant outcomes to the lung allografts from COVID-19-negative donors. 

Dr. Harano will present the results of this study Saturday, May 6, at the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) 103rd Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

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Attribution to the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) 103rd Annual Meeting is requested in all coverage.

ABOUT AATS

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) is an international organization that encourages, promotes, and stimulates the scientific investigation of cardiothoracic surgery. Founded in 1917 by a respected group of the earliest pioneers in the field, its original mission was to “foster the evolution of an interest in surgery of the Thorax.” Today, the AATS is the premier association for cardiothoracic surgeons in the world and works to continually enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality of patient care. Its more than 1,500 members have a proven record of distinction within the specialty and have made significant contributions to the care and treatment of cardiothoracic disease. Visit aats.org to learn more.