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Association of Pre Transplant Functional Status at Transplant and Insurance Type in Pediatric Heart Transplantation
Abstract   Peer reviewed

Association of Pre Transplant Functional Status at Transplant and Insurance Type in Pediatric Heart Transplantation

S. McKay, M. Husain, J.P. Joshi, N.A. Tan, J. Song, H. Zappacosta, P. Cho, J. White, M. Daniel, D. Telesca, …
The Journal of heart and lung transplantation, v 45(5), pp 692-692
Apr 2026

Abstract

Purpose: Functional status predicts pediatric heart transplant outcomes, yet the impact of insurance type on this relationship remains unclear. We examined associations between functional status and early post-transplant outcomes by insurance type. Methods: Pediatric heart transplant recipients in the UNOS database (1/2000-6/2025) were analyzed. Functional status was categorized by Lansky Play Performance Scale (LPPS): 10-40 (severe), 50-70 (moderate), or 80-100 (mild/normal). Recipient characteristics and perioperative outcomes were compared across LPPS groups, stratified by insurance (public vs private). Results: Among 2,294 recipients, 710 had LPPS score of 10-40, 774 had LPPS 50-70, and 810 had LPPS 80-100; of these, 454 (63.9%), 455 (58.8%), and 475 (58.6%) had public insurance. Across both groups, lower functional status was associated with greater pretransplant acuity, including higher use of life support (ventilator, ECMO, IV inotropes, LVAD; all p<0.001) and ICU admission (p<0.001). Similarly, length of stay to discharge post-transplant was significantly higher for those with lower LPPS scores across insurance groups (p<0.001). For public insurance only, lower LPPS score was associated with higher rates of post-transplant dialysis (p=0.013) and stroke p=0.012) (Table 1). There was no significant difference in 6-month mortality between LPPS status groups for either privately or publicly insured recipients (Table 1).Lower functional status at transplant was linked to greater pretransplant acuity, higher life Conclusion: Lower functional status at transplant was linked to greater pretransplant acuity, higher life support use, and longer post-transplant hospitalization across both insurance groups. Among publicly insured recipients, trends toward increased dialysis and stroke merit further study, suggesting potential disparities in postoperative complications.

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