RETRIEVAL BY OTHER PROCUREMENT TEAMS PROVIDES FAVORABLE LUNG TRANSPLANTATION OUTCOME

Background. During the last 4 years, we have increasingly used lungs r etrieved by other procurement teams. We therefore investigated whether the use of those lungs affected the outcome of lung transplantation. Methods. We analyzed the results of 159 consecutive lung transplantati ons performed at our institution between July 1, 1992, and December 31 , 1995. The transplants were divided into three groups: distant donor lungs retrieved by our team (DB group, n = 68); distant donor lungs re trieved by other teams (DX group, n = 46); and local donor lungs retri eved by our team (LB group, n = 44). One transplantation with a local donor lung retrieved by another team was excluded from the analysis. R esults. No significant differences were noted between the three groups in alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient immediately after transplantatio n (DB group, 359 +/- 18 mm Hg; DX group, 329 +/- 23 mm Hg; LB group, 3 27 +/- 20 mm Hg) and at 24 hours; days on ventilator; days in the inte nsive care unit; length of hospital stay; 30-day mortality; and actuar ial 1-year survival (DB group, 81%; DX group, 87%; LB group, 89%). Con clusions. The use of donor lungs retrieved by other teams achieves an equivalently satisfactory outcome after lung transplantation as lungs retrieved by our team. (C) 1997 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.