Lung transplantation for acute respiratory distress syndrome:a retrospective European Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: The published experience of lung transplantation (LTX) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the contemporary results of LTX attempts in ARDS in major European centers.METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study of all patients listed for LTX between 2011 and 2019. We surveyed 68 centers in 22 European countries. All patients admitted to the waitlist for lung transplantation with a diagnosis of "ARDS//pneumonia" were included. Patients without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) or mechanical ventilation were excluded. Patients were followed until October 1st 2020 or death. Multivariable analysis for 1-year survival after listing and lung transplantation were performed.RESULTS: Forty-eight centers (74%) with a total transplant activity of 12 438 lung transplants during the 9-year period gave feedback. Forty patients with a median age of 35 years were identified. Patients were listed for LTX in 18 different centers in 10 countries. Thirty-one-patients underwent LTX (0·25% of all indications) and 9 patients died on the waitlist. Ninety percent of transplanted patients were on ECMO in combination with mechanical ventilation before LTX. On multivariable analysis, transplantation during 2015 until 2019 was independently associated with better 1-year survival after LTX (odds ratio 10.493, 95% CI 1.977, 55.705, p=0.006). Sixteen survivors out of 23 patients with known status (70%) returned to work after LTX.CONCLUSION: LTX in highly selected ARDS patients is feasible and outcome has improved in the modern era. The selection process remains ethically and technically challenging.