Actuarial survival of heart-lung and bilateral sequential lung transplant recipients with obliterative bronchiolitis.

Abstract

The forced expiratory flow at 50% of forced vital capacity/forced vital capacity is a more sensitive indicator for the early detection of obliterative bronchiolitis than the forced expiratory volume in 1 second after heart-lung or bilateral sequential lung transplantation. The obliterative bronchiolitis negative group survival tends to be better than the obliterative bronchiolitis positive group. The obliterative bronchiolitis positive lung transplant recipients have reasonable outcomes with a median survival time of nearly 3 years after the diagnosis of obliterative bronchiolitis. Earlier detection of obliterative bronchiolitis and refinements in management may further improve these results.