Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate right and left ventricular functions in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension after living-donor lobar lung transplantation compared with those without hypertension.
Methods: Thirty-three recipients of living-donor lobar lung transplantation were divided into two groups: those with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH group; n = 12) and those without (non-PAH group; n = 21). Their systolic pulmonary artery pressure was 93.1 +/- 6.7 mm Hg versus 31.4 +/- 2.9 mm Hg, respectively. Right and left ventricular ejection fractions, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, and cardiac index were serially measured by radionuclide ventriculography and right heart catheterization, respectively.
Results: Pretransplant right and left ventricular ejection fractions were lower in the PAH group (29.8% +/- 7.0%, 49.9% +/- 6.6%) than in the non-PAH group (49.7% +/- 3.3%, 65.2% +/- 1.9%) (P = .010, .068). Two months after living-donor lobar lung transplantation, right ventricular ejection fraction and systolic pulmonary artery pressure in the PAH group (57.3% +/- 5.1%, 25.7 +/- 1.8 mm Hg) improved dramatically, equal to those in the non-PAH group. In contrast, left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac index in the PAH group (50.9% +/- 3.7%, 2.66 +/- 0.12 L x min(-1) x m(-2)) were still significantly lower than in the non-PAH group (65.4% +/- 2.8%, 3.13 +/- 0.15 L x min(-1) x m(-2)) (P = .0038, .037). At 6 to 12 months, the PAH group demonstrated a significant rise in left ventricular ejection fraction and cardiac index that reached similar values in the non-PAH group measured at 2 months. These values were stable for up to 3 years.
Conclusions: Right ventricular function recovered early after living-donor lobar lung transplantation in the PAH group. In contrast, recovery of left ventricular function required 6 to 12 months. Improved cardiac function was sustained for up to 3 years, suggesting long-term durability of cardiac function recovery after living-donor lobar lung transplantation.