Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar;55(3):415-425.
doi: 10.1111/imj.16641. Epub 2025 Jan 29.

Return-to-work in lung transplant recipients: an Australian perspective

Maitri Munsif  1 , Matthew Donnan  1 , Gregory Snell  1 , Kovi Levin  1 , Miranda Paraskeva  1
Affiliations

Return-to-work in lung transplant recipients: an Australian perspective

Maitri Munsif et al. Intern Med J. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Return-to-work (RTW) following lung transplant has been associated with increased quality of life, but little is known regarding the rates of and barriers to this in the Australian population.

Aims: We aimed to describe, characterise and determine predictors of return to work and social participation in Australian lung transplant recipients. We also sought to explore the relationship between return to work and quality of life.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study at the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne between October 2018 and August 2019. The questionnaire evaluated demographics, transplant history, respiratory parameters, employment history and social integration prior to and after lung transplantation.

Results: A total of 172 lung transplant recipients were included for analysis. The population was mostly male (56.5%), median age 61 years (interquartile range (IQR) 49.8-67.0) and median time from transplant 4 years (IQR 2-7). A total of 19.2% of patients were working at time of transplant, with 35.5% working after transplant representing an increase in workforce engagement of 84.8% (P < 0.001). A total of 96% of those who returned to work reported an improvement in quality of life. Median time to RTW after transplant was 180 days (IQR 90-360). Multivariable analysis demonstrated an increased rate of RTW in younger recipients (odds ratio (OR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-0.99, adjusted P = 0.029), at greater length of time after transplant (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.99-1.19, P = 0.084), among those working at the time of transplant (OR 9.55, 95% CI 2.70-33.75, P < 0.001) and with higher socioeconomic status (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.01-1.04, P = 0.009). Recipients with cystic fibrosis were more likely to RTW (65.8%) than those with other underlying conditions.

Conclusions: RTW should be encouraged in lung transplant recipients. Targeted supports and resources aimed at younger recipients may result in greater workforce engagement and overall outcomes after transplant.

Keywords: end‐stage respiratory disease; lung transplant; quality of life; return to work.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Consort diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Seiler A, Klaghofer R, Ture M, Komossa K, Martin‐Soelch C, Jenewein J. A systematic review of health‐related quality of life and psychological outcomes after lung transplantation. J Heart Lung Transplant 2016; 35: 195–202. - PubMed
    1. Vock DM, Durheim MT, Tsuang WM, Copeland CAF, Tsiatis AA, Davidian M et al. Survival benefit of lung transplantation in the modern era of lung allocation. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2016; 14: 172–181. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry . 2022 Annual Report, Section 8: Deceased Donor Lung Donation. Adelaide: Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry; [cited Oct 2024]. Available from URL: www.anzdata.org.au.
    1. Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry . 2019 Annual Report, Section 12: Deceased Organ Transplant Outcome Data. Adelaide: Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry; [cited Oct 2024]. Available from URL: https://www.anzdata.org.au/report/anzod-annual-report-2019/.
    1. Burra P, Bona MD. Quality of life following organ transplantation. Transpl Int 2007; 20: 397–409. - PubMed