Survival and early outcomes following lung transplantation for interstitial lung disease associated with non-scleroderma connective tissue disease: a national cohort study

Compared to IPF, patients with ILD-NSCTD have a significantly higher risk of post-operative stroke and extended hospital stays, potentially due to complications inherent to ILD-NSCTD. However, the underlying causes of these outcomes remain unclear. Despite these differences, short-term and long-term survival rates are comparable between the two groups, with consistent findings across various ILD-NSCTD subgroups. Therefore, ILD-NSCTD should not be regarded as a relative contraindication for lung transplantation. Nonetheless, the influence of extra-pulmonary complications in ILD-NSCTD patients requires further investigation.