OPTN/SRTR 2019 Annual Data Report: Econ

Abstract

Resource utilization metrics vary widely across solid organ transplant modalities. Average length of stay (LOS) for kidney transplant has declined by 15.1%, from 8.7 days in 2008 to 7.4 days in 2019. A similar decline in LOS of 17.5% was seen in pancreas transplant. LOS for liver transplant remained relatively stable over this period, while LOS was most variable for intestine transplant, with a high of 70.9 days in 2008 and 26.2% lower (52.3 days) in 2011. However, LOS for both heart and lung transplant have generally risen through 2019. Pediatric patients generally experienced the longest LOS across all organs. Large variation in LOS by diagnosis was seen across organs, with the shortest LOS in kidney for glomerulonephritis, liver for hepatocellular carcinoma, and lung for obstructive pulmonary disease. Reported readmission during the first year post-transplant in 2018 varied from a low of 39.9% in heart, followed by 48.1% in kidney, 52.1% in lung, 59.7% in liver, and 61.8% in pancreas, to a high of 95.6% in intestine. In kidney, liver, and heart transplant, Asian recipients had the fewest readmissions across all years.