The impact of bleeding on outcomes following lung transplantation: a retrospective analysis using the universal definition of perioperative bleeding.

Background: Lung transplantation (LT) represents a high-risk procedure for end-stage lung diseases. This study describes the outcomes of patients undergoing LT that require massive transfusions as defined by the universal definition of perioperative bleeding (UDPB).

Methods: Adult patients who underwent bilateral LT at a single academic center were surveyed retrospectively. Patients were grouped by insignificant, mild, or moderate perioperative bleeding (insignificant-to-moderate bleeders) and severe or massive perioperative bleeding (severe-to-massive bleeders) based on the UDPB classification. Outcomes included 1-year survival and primary graft dysfunction (PGD) of grade 3 at 72 h postoperatively. Multivariable models were adjusted for recipient age, sex, body mass index (BMI), Lung allocation score (LAS), preoperative hemoglobin (Hb), preoperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) status, transplant number, and donor status. An additional multivariable model was created to find preoperative and intraoperative predictors of severe-to-massive bleeding. A p-value less than 0.05 was selected for significance.

Results: A total of 528 patients were included, with 357 insignificant-to-moderate bleeders and 171 severe-to-massive bleeders. Postoperatively, severe-to-massive bleeders had higher rates of PGD grade 3 at 72 h, longer hospital stays, higher mortality rates at 30 days and one year, and were less likely to achieve textbook outcomes for LT. They also required postoperative ECMO, reintubation for over 48 h, tracheostomy, reintervention, and dialysis at higher rates. In the multivariate analysis, severe-to-massive bleeding was significantly associated with adverse outcomes after adjusting for recipient and donor factors, with an odds ratio of 7.73 (95% CI: 4.27-14.4, p < 0.001) for PGD3 at 72 h, 4.30 (95% CI: 2.30-8.12, p < 0.001) for 1-year mortality, and 1.75 (95% CI: 1.52-2.01, p < 0.001) for longer hospital stays. Additionally, severe-to-massive bleeders were less likely to achieve textbook outcomes, with an odds ratio of 0.07 (95% CI: 0.02-0.16, p < 0.001). Preoperative and intraoperative predictors of severe/massive bleeding were identified, with White patients having lower odds compared to Black patients (OR: 041, 95% CI: 0.22-0.80, p = 0.008). Each 1-unit increase in BMI decreased the odds of bleeding (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83-0.95, p < 0.001), while each 1-unit increase in MPAP increased the odds of bleeding (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06, p < 0.001). First-time transplant recipients had lower risk (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.06-0.36, p < 0.001), whereas those with DCD donors had a higher risk of severe-to-massive bleeding (OR: 3.09, 95% CI: 1.63-5.87, p = 0.001).

Conclusion: These results suggest that patients at high risk of massive bleeding require higher utilization of hospital resources. Understanding their outcomes is important, as it may inform future decisions to transplant comparable patients.