Improved Lung Transplant Waitlist Outcomes Following 2023 Allocation System Update
New findings highlight better waitlist results after the implementation of updated lung transplant allocation guidelines that emphasize medical urgency.
In recent years, changes to donor lung distribution aimed to enhance equity and improve waitlist outcomes. Before November 2017, lungs were allocated locally first, with wider sharing occurring only afterward. However, a 2017 lawsuit prompted an expansion of the allocation radius to 250 nautical miles. This led the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network to develop a more refined continuous allocation system. In March 2023, UNOS launched the CAS to incorporate individual patient factors in donor lung allocation decisions.
