Lung transplantation from polytrauma donors: beyond primary graft dysfunction

The study compared lung transplantation outcomes from polytrauma donors (36 patients) and non-polytrauma donors (89 patients) between January 2013 and June 2024. Polytrauma donors were younger and had higher prevalence of pulmonary injuries. In the overall cohort, 6-month survival was higher in the polytrauma group (91.7% versus 75.3%). After adjusting for baseline differences between groups, no significant differences were found in survival, perioperative complications, or lung function. Functional recovery and chronic graft dysfunction rates were similar in both groups. The results indicate that lung transplantation from polytrauma donors is not associated with worse outcomes and can safely expand the available donor pool.