Postoperative vasoplegia in lung transplantation: incidence and relation to outcome in a single-centre retrospective study

Background The incidence and clinical importance of vasoplegia after lung transplantation remains poorly studied. We describe the incidence of vasoplegia and its association with complications after lung transplantation. Methods Perioperative data of 279 lung transplant recipients operated on from 2015 to 2020 in a UK hospital were analysed retrospectively. Results Vasoplegia occurred in 41.6% of patients after lung transplantation (mild, 31.0%; moderate, 55.2%; severe, 13.8%). Compared with non-vasoplegic patients, vasoplegic patients had a higher incidence of any acute kidney injury, defined by Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria (78.5% vs 65%, P=0.015), renal replacement therapy (47.4% vs 24.5%, P<0.001), and delayed chest closure (18.4% vs 9.2%, P=0.025); were ventilated longer (70 [32–368] vs 34 [19–105] h, P<0.001); and stayed longer in the ICU (12.9 [5–30] vs 6.8 [3–20] days, P<0.001). Mortality at 30 days and 1 yr was higher in patients with vasoplegia (11.2% vs 5.5% and 20.7% vs 11.7%, P=0.039, respectively). Severe vasoplegia represented a predictor of longer-term mortality (hazard ratio=1.65, P=0.008). Underlying infectious disease, increased BMI, higher preoperative pulmonary artery systolic pressure and bilirubin levels, lower glomerular filtration rate, and increased fresh frozen plasma transfusion were predictors of vasoplegia severity. Neutrophilia, leucocytosis, and increased C-reactive protein were associated with vasoplegia, but release of the neutrophil activation markers myeloperoxidase and heparin-binding protein was similar between groups. Conclusions Influenced by preoperative status as well as procedural factors and inflammatory response, vasoplegia is a common and critical condition after lung transplantation with worse short-term outcomes and long-term survival.