Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.  2018 Dec;51(6):384-389. 10.5090/kjtcs.2018.51.6.384.

Preoperative Corticosteroid Use and Early Postoperative Bronchial Anastomotic Complications after Lung Transplantation

• Kim HE
• Paik HC
• Kim SY
• Park MS
• Lee JG

• KMID: 2433879
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5090/kjtcs.2018.51.6.384

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Airway anastomotic complications are a leading cause of mortality after lung transplantation. Among the factors that cause airway complications, preoperative steroid use has been considered to be related with postoperative airway healing. We analyzed the influence of preoperative steroid use on postoperative airway complications.
METHODS
The medical records of 66 double-lung transplant recipients from January 2014 to December 2015 were reviewed. Forty patients were prescribed steroids preoperatively. The daily steroid dose was standardized using the patient's body mass index (BMI). Patients who received preoperative steroids were sub-divided into high-dose (HD) and low-dose (LD) groups (cut-off value, 1.6 mg/BMI/day).
RESULTS
Thirteen patients suffered from airway complications postoperatively (bronchopulmonary fistula, 9; bronchial stenosis, 4). There was a tendency for early development of airway complications in the steroid use group compared to the non-steroid use group, but it was not significant (percentage free from airway complications in year 1: non-steroid group, 90.9% vs. steroid group, 79.2%; p=0.43). The percentage of patients in the LD and HD groups who were free from airway complications in year 1 was not significantly different (84.0% vs. 77.8%, p=0.39).
CONCLUSION
The airway complication rate did not vary significantly according to steroid use. Additionally, in patients who received preoperative steroids, the dose did not affect the rate of development of airway complications.

Keyword

Lung transplantation; Preoperative steroid; Airway; Complication

MeSH Terms

Body Mass Index
Constriction, Pathologic
Fistula
Humans
Lung Transplantation*
Lung*
Medical Records
Mortality
Steroids
Transplant Recipients
Steroids