Lung Transplantation Health Article

Definition

Lung transplantation involves removal of one or both diseased lungs from a patient and the replacement

of the lungs with healthy organs from a donor. Lung transplantation may refer to single, double, or even heart-lung transplantation.

Purpose

The purpose of lung transplantation is to replace a lung that no longer functions, or is cancerous, with a healthy lung. In order to qualify for lung transplantation, a patient must suffer from severe lung disease which limits activities of daily living. There should be potential for rehabilitated breathing function. Attempts at other medical treatments should be exhausted before transplantion is considered. Many candidates for this procedure have end-stage fibrotic lung disease, are dependent on oxygen therapy, and are likely to die of their disease in 12-18 months.

Patients with emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) should be under 60 years of age, have a life expectancy without transplantation of two years or less, progressive deterioration, and emotional stability in order to be considered for lung transplantation. Young patients with end-stage silicosis (a progressive lung disease) may be candidates for lung or heart-lung transplantation. Patients with Stage III or Stage IV sarcoidosis (a chronic lung disease) with cor pulmonale should be considered as early as possible for lung transplantation. Other indicators of lung transplantation include pulmonary vascular disease and chronic pulmonary infection.

Precautions

Patients who have diseases or conditions which may make them more susceptible to organ rejection should not receive a lung transplant. This includes patients who are acutely ill and unstable; who have uncontrolled or untreatable pulmonary infection; significant dysfunction of other organs, particularly the liver, kidney, or central nervous system; and those with significant coronary disease or left ventricular dysfunction. Patients who actively smoke cigarettes or are dependent on drugs or alcohol may not be selected. There are a variety of protocols that are used to determine if a patient will be placed on a transplant recipient list, and criteria may vary depending on location.