Lung Transplantation for Cystic Fibrosis and Non-cystic Fibrosis Bronchiectasis: A Single-Center Experience

Objectives. Lung transplantation is a well-established treatment for selected patients with advanced cystic fibrosis (CF)- and non-cystic fibrosis (non-CF) related bronchiectasis. Because the number of lung transplants performed for patients with non CF bronchiectasis is much smaller than for patients with CF, little data is available regarding patient selection, choice of procedure, and outcomes. Methods. Between November 1997 and December 2013, 42 patients with CF and 33 patients with non-CF bronchiectasis underwent lung transplantation at the Rabin Medical Center, Israel. We analyzed and compared pretransplant evaluation data and short- and long-term results in both groups. Results. Median survival for the CF group in our study was 8.4 years, compared with 7.1 years for the non-CF group (P = .098), similarly to that reported by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Registry data. The main survival difference between groups was in the early postoperative period. Both groups achieved similar peak forced expiratory volume in 1 second values and had stable lung function at the 3 year follow-up. Biopsy-proven rates of acute cellular rejection were low for both groups. Rates of chronic lung allograft dysfunction development did not differ between CF and non-CF recipients. Conclusion. Our institutional experience confirms that lung transplantation is feasible for non-CF bronchiectasis, and results are comparable to our CF cohort. The increased early mortality in this study occurred from 1999 to 2008 and was probably related to surgical techniques used at the time. Overall, 3-year and 5-year survival were comparable with the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Registry data. Non-CF bronchiectasis patients achieved and maintained satisfactory lung function.