One-year lung transplantation outcomes for engineered stone countertop workers with silicosis at a single center in Southern California, 2019 to 2023.

Background: In the past decade, growing industrial exposure to respirable crystalline silica from manufacturing engineered stone (ES) products has caused rapidly progressive, irreversible silicosis worldwide. Consequently, there has been a recent surge in lung transplants for ES silicosis but few reports of post-transplant outcomes. We compared perioperative and 1-year post-transplant outcomes for silicosis and nonsilicosis interstitial lung disease (ILD) recipients at UC San Diego (UCSD) Health.

Single-center perioperative management and 1-year heart transplantation outcomes for patients with adult congenital heart disease.

Background: Additional data are needed to define the optimal listing strategy and peri-transplant management for adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). In this study, we evaluated the perioperative management and 1-year outcomes for 30 patients who underwent orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) for ACHD.

Methods: We conducted a single-center retrospective case series of all patients who received an OHT at our institution for ACHD from January 1, 2017 through June 30, 2024.

The Curated Treatment of a Young Woman With Marfan Syndrome: Elective Open Ascending Repair to Emergent Thoracoabdominal Endovascular Repair.

Background: Hereditary aortopathies traditionally require open repair when significant pathologies arise. Open provides the most durable outcome for nominally a younger patient population that can tolerate larger procedures well. In certain situations, literature has described proceeding with endovascular repair in patients with known hereditary aortopathies.

Lung Transplant Success in COVID-19 Patients Requiring V-V ECMO: One-Year Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) can result in severe disease requiring mechanical ventilatory support. A subset of these patients, however, demonstrate refractory hypoxemia/hypercarbia requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (V-V ECMO) as adjunctive therapy. The primary goal of V-V ECMO is a "bridge" to recovery of native lung function; however, patients may progress to irreversible pulmonary damage requiring lung transplantation.

Difference in immunosuppressant dose requirement when transitioning to isavuconazole from other azoles in thoracic transplant recipients.

The triazole antifungal isavuconazole (ISAVU) is used for prevention and treatment of fungal infections in solid organ transplant (SOT). SOT recipients commonly need to transition from one azole to another due to breakthrough infection, toxicity, or other reasons. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effect of ISAVU on immunosuppressant concentrations in thoracic transplant recipients when ISAVU was started de novo or transitioned from another azole.

Outcomes following lung transplantation for American Indians/Alaska Natives in the United States.

Limited data is available for American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) undergoing lung transplant. The goal of our study was to assess outcomes for AI/AN lung transplant recipients (LTR). A retrospective review of data from the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network was performed comparing AI/AN (n = 88) and Caucasian (n = 22,767) LTRs between May 4, 2005 and October 31, 2019.

Sirolimus Long-Term Tolerability and Impact on Kidney Function in Lung Transplantation: A Single-Center Experience.

Background: After lung transplant, 2 common complications are calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) induced nephrotoxicity and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome. The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term effects of sirolimus conversion after lung transplantation.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who had undergone lung transplantation at a single center from June 2003 to December 2016.

An Unexpected Cause of Lung Disease Identified After Lung Transplantation.

A 54-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus with associated interstitial lung disease (ILD) presented to the lung transplant clinic for assessment of candidacy for transplantation. She was initially diagnosed with ILD based on clinical and radiographic features (never underwent lung biopsy). In addition, she had associated mixed group I/III pulmonary arterial hypertension.

A Pilot Trial for Prevention of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission From Donor to Organ Transplant Recipient With Short-Course Glecaprevir/Pibrentasvir.

A 7-day course of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir started in the preoperative period prevented transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from viremic donors to 10 HCV-negative recipients (2 heart, 1 lung, 6 kidney, 1 heart/kidney) with 100% sustained virological response at 12 weeks.

Heart and Lung Transplant for Mixed Connective Tissue Disease: A Case Report and Implications for Pretransplant Testing.

We present a case of end-stage lung disease secondary to mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) with concomitant myocarditis found on explant at time of transplant. The patient is a 37-year-old man who was first diagnosed with interstitial lung disease secondary to MCTD at 30 years of age. He underwent en bloc heart-lung transplant for progressive decline in left ventricular ejection fraction and severe pulmonary fibrosis despite immunosuppression with hydroxychloroquine, mycophenolate, and azathioprine.

Development of Host Immune Response to Bacteriophage in a Lung Transplant Recipient on Adjunctive Phage Therapy for a Multidrug-Resistant Pneumonia.

Bacteriophage therapy is the use of viruses to kill bacteria for the treatment of antibiotic-resistant infections. Little is known about the human immune response following phage therapy. We report the development of phage-specific CD4 T cells alongside rising phage-specific immunoglobulin G and neutralizing antibodies in response to adjunctive bacteriophage therapy used to treat a multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia in a lung transplant recipient.

Tolerability and Feasibility of the Upper Esophageal Sphincter Assist Device in Preventing Acute and Chronic Allograft Rejection Among Lung Transplant Recipients.

Goals: We aimed to evaluate a novel upper esophageal sphincter (UES) assist device loaner program for the prevention of acute cellular rejection and chronic lung allograft dysfunction among lung transplant (LTx) recipients.

Background: Laryngopharyngeal reflux can lead to chronic microaspiration and LTx rejection. The UES assist device applies external pressure at the level of UES to decrease reflux.

Novel Biomaterial for Artery Patch in Swine Model With High-Fat Diet.

Objective: We evaluated swine and bovine pulmonary visceral pleura (PVP) in artery patch-angioplasty in swine model of high-fat diet.

Background: Arterial patch-angioplasty is frequently used for repair or reconstruction of arteries. An autologous patch is often limited by the number and dimension of donor tissue and can result in donor complications.

Implementation and Outcomes of a Mobile Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Program in the United States During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic began in the United States around March 2020. Because of limited access to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the authors' region, a mobile ECMO team was implemented by April 2020 to serve patients with COVID-19. Several logistical and operational needs were assessed and addressed to ensure a successful program, including credentialing, equipment management, and transportation.

Treatment of Bronchopleural and Alveolopleural Fistulas in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome With Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, a Case Series and Literature Review.

Objectives: To describe a ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation management strategy for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome complicated by bronchopleural and alveolopleural fistula with air leaks.

Design Setting And Participants: Case series from 2019 to 2020. Single tertiary referral center-University of California, San Diego.

Vertebral Artery Stump Syndrome Due to Chronic Complicated Aortic Dissection.

Background: Vertebral artery (VA) stump syndrome arises when thrombi of an occluded proximal VA propagate to the brain and cause posterior circulation strokes. This phenomenon has been described in limited reports to date.

Case Description: A 39-year-old man with a remote history of endovascular repair of a type B aortic dissection experienced type Ia endoleak causing expansion of the false lumen associated with the dissection.

E-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) treated with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) and ultra-protective ventilator settings.

A 19-year-old man vaping with tetrahydrocannabinol presented with dyspnoea and right pneumothorax. History, imaging and negative infectious workup were consistent with E-cigarette, or vaping, product use-associated lung injury (EVALI). Treated with systemic steroids, he developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and was intubated requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) by hospital day 3.

Spontaneous Left Atrial Thrombus Formation on the Catheter Delivery System During WATCHMAN Implantation.

We present a rare complication of spontaneous thrombus formation on the WATCHMAN delivery system, on both the right- and left-sided systemic circulation. We also describe the multidisciplinary team approach and the use of percutaneous vacuum-assisted aspiration system (AngioVac, AngioDynamics, Latham, New York) for successful thrombus removal. ().

Homologous and heterologous assessment of a novel biomaterial for venous patch.

Objective: This study evaluated swine and bovine pulmonary visceral pleura (PVP) as a vascular patch. Venous patches are frequently used in surgery for repair or reconstruction of veins. Autologous patches are often limited by the number and dimension of donor tissue and can result in donor complications.