Modern Outcomes of Heart-Lung Transplantation: Assessing the Impact of the Updated US Allocation System

In 2018, the United States network for organ sharing modified its heart allocation policy. Against a background of declining heart-lung transplantation, the authors investigated the effect of the new policy on outcomes for combined heart-lung transplant patients. A total of 511 adult patients were included between 2012 and 2021. Procedures at high-volume centers were associated with decreased mortality. The authors concluded that the policy change has improved waitlist outcomes. Despite increases in both ischemic times and ECMO use, early survival post-transplant was unchanged.