2017 Volume 52 Issue 2-3 Pages 155-160
【Objective】To scrutinize the status of lung transplantation in Japan, the Japanese Society of Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation started to collect and present registry data from 2005. This is the Society's 13th official registry report.
【Design and Methods】The data of cadaveric lung transplantation and living-donor lobar lung transplantation performed by the end of 2016 were registered in the database and analyzed with respect to the number of transplants, recipient survival rates, recipient functional and working statuses, and causes of death after transplantations. Survival rates were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method.
【Results】A total of 332 cadaveric lung transplantations (174 single, 158 bilateral), 198 living-donor lobar lung transplantation, and 3 heart-lung transplantation procedures were performed by the end of 2016. Five-year and 10-year survival rates of cadaveric lung transplantations were 73.1% and 61.7%, which were superior to those in the International Registry (54% and 32%). Five-year and 10-year survival rates of living-donor lobar transplantations were similar to those of cadaveric lung transplantations, which were 71.9% and 65.4%. The recipients of 3 heart-lung transplantations are alive. The functional status of more than 80% of recipients was restored to an mMRC (modified Medical Research Council dyspnea) scale of grade 0 or 1 after transplantations. Infection has been the leading cause of death after lung transplantation. Primary graft dysfunction accounts for about 20% of the causes of death after cadaveric and living-donor lung transplantations.
【Conclusion】The outcomes of Japanese lung transplantations are so far satisfactory. Efforts must be made, however, to overcome early deaths resulting from primary graft dysfunctions. The modified Japanese transplantation law has been enforced since July 2010, and an increase in the number of cadaveric organ transplantations has since been achieved. The Japanese Society of Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation will continue to present annual reports of Japanese lung transplantations.
