Spirometric Assessment of Lung Transplant Patients: One Year Follow-Up

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare spirometry data between patients who underwent single-lung or double-lung transplantation the first year after transplantation. INTRODUCTION: Lung transplantation, which was initially described as an experimental method in 1963, has become a therapeutic option for patients with advanced pulmonary diseases due to improvements in organ conservation, surgical technique, immunosuppressive therapy and treatment of post-operative infections. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of the 39 patients who received lung transplantation in our institution between August 2003 and August 2006. Twenty-nine patients survived one year post-transplantation, and all of them were followed. RESULTS: The increase in lung function in the double-lung transplant group was more substantial than that of the single-lung transplant group, exhibiting a statistical difference from the 1st month in both the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and the forced vital capacity (FVC) in comparison to the pre-transplant values (p <0.05). Comparison between double-lung transplant and single lung-transplant groups of emphysema patients demonstrated a significant difference in lung function beginning in the 3rd month after transplantation. DISCUSSION: The analyses of the whole group of transplant recipients and the sub-group of emphysema patients suggest the superiority of bilateral transplant over the unilateral alternative. Although the pre-transplant values of lung function were worse in the double-lung group, this difference was no longer significant in the subsequent months after surgery. CONCLUSION: Although both groups demonstrated functional improvement after transplantation, there was a clear tendency to greater improvement in FVC and FEV1 in the bilateral transplant group. Among our subjects, double-lung transplantation improved lung function

Rescue therapy within the UK Cystic Fibrosis Registry: An exploration of predictors of intravenous antibiotic use amongst adults with CF

“…People with lung transplantation and those on ivacaftor were excluded as both treatments have transformative effects on health outcomes, 20,21 such that their exacerbation rates and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) no longer represent that of a typical adult with CF.…”

La transplantation pulmonaire: avant, pendant et après… — Bénéfices de la transplantation pulmonaire et de la réadaptation

“…En évaluant régulièrement la CVF et le VEMS de ces patients, on est en mesure de détecter une complication telle que le rejet, la bronchiolite oblitérante ou l'infection. Une diminution significative de ces deux paramètres (11 % ou plus) doit motiver des examens à la recherche d'une complication [4].…”

“…Les valeurs sont plus faibles chez les patients nécessitant une TBP, car leur pathologie est plus invalidante (mucoviscidose, bronchectasie) [4].…”

“…Durant la première année postopératoire, Pêgo-Fernandes et al [4] ont montré chez des patients TBP et TMP une augmentation significative de la CVF et du VEMS, avec une amélioration plus rapide chez les bipulmonaires. En effet, chez le monopulmonaire la maladie reste présente dans le poumon non remplacé.…”

“…L'amélioration est plus nette chez les TBP [4]. Plusieurs auteurs montrent les mêmes résultats [4][5][6][7][8].…”