After a transient rise in US frequency in the 1990s and early 2000s, live lung donation decreased in the US due to changes in the lung allocation system and effects of medical management on transplant urgency ( 2). Though the number of live lung donations has minimally impacted the number of lung transplants performed in the US ( 2, 3), live lung donation has had a greater effect in countries like Japan that have had low deceased donor rates ( 4– 6). Inadequate donor lung allograft supply and deaths of candidates awaiting lung transplantation led to implementation of living lobar lung donation ( 1) and consequent broadening of the pool of donor organs which historically came from deceased donors. Center effects and long-term outcomes require further evaluation. However, the use of two live donors for each recipient and the risk of morbidity associated with live lung donation do not justify this approach when deceased lung donors remain available. Live lung donation remains a potential option for recipients when using deceased donor lungs lacks feasibility. No deaths occurred and no donors underwent lung transplantation during 4,000+ person-years of follow-up (death: minimum 4, maximum 17 years transplant: minimum 5, maximum 19). The two centers had significantly different incidences of serious complications (p<0.001). Serious complications occurred in 18% of donors 2.2% underwent reoperation, and 6.5% had an early rehospitalization. The 369 live lung donors (287 USC, 82 WASHU) were predominantly white, non-Hispanic, and male 72% had a biological relationship to the recipient, and 30% were recipient parents. Serious complications were those requiring significant treatment, potentially life-threatening, or leading to prolonged hospitalization.

This is a retrospective cohort study at University of Southern California (USC) and Washington University (WASHU) Medical Centers (1993–2006), using medical records to assess morbidity and national databases to ascertain post-donation survival and lung transplantation. The Renal and Lung Living Donors Evaluation Study (RELIVE) assesses outcomes of live lung (lobectomy) donors.

Relive alternative