Lung transplantation is increasingly common among patients with coal workers' pneumoconiosis.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) in U.S. coal miners has increased, and severe presentations are increasingly common.

METHODS: We describe trends in lung transplantation during 1996-2014 for recipients with a primary diagnosis of CWP or pneumoconiosis unspecified, and we summarize recipient characteristics and estimate survival.

RESULTS: A total of 47 transplants were included; nearly three-quarters were performed during 2008-2014. All recipients were male, 96% were white, and the mean age was 56 years. Mean FEV1 % was 35%; mean FVC% was 53%. Mean time on a waitlist was 155 days, and 60% of transplants were bilateral. Median survival was 3.7 years.

CONCLUSIONS: These transplants reflect the use of a scarce resource for an entirely preventable disease, and highlight the need for enhanced efforts to reduce coal mine dust exposures.