Donor selection for lung transplant in Turkey: Is it necessary to wait for an ideal donor?

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the donor criteria used in lung transplantation in our clinic.

Methods: A total of 55 cadaveric donors who were accepted for lung transplantation in our clinic between December 2016 and January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed according to ideal donor criteria. The donors were divided into two groups as ideal and non-ideal ones according to their age, partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood, history of smoking, and ventilation day. Donor data, recipient characteristics and survival outcomes were evaluated.

Results: Of 55 donors accepted for lung transplantation, 24 (43.7%) were ideal and 31 (56.3%) were non-ideal donors. The 90-day mortality and one-year survival rates were not significantly different between the two groups. The 90-day mortality was 25% in the ideal group and 22.6% in the non-ideal group (p=0.834). The one-year survival rates after lung transplantation were 64.5% versus 70.6% in the ideal and non-ideal groups, respectively (p=0.444).

Conclusion: The whole clinical picture should be evaluated before accepting or rejecting donors for lung transplantation. The use of lung donors that do not meet the ideal criteria does not impair short- and mid-term results, compared to ideal lung donors. Strict implementation of donor criteria may prevent using suitable donors for lung transplantation. Use of non-ideal donors can reduce waiting list mortality.