Lung Transplant

A lung transplant is a surgical procedure to remove severely diseased lungs and replace them with healthy lungs from a human donor. One or both lungs may be transplanted.

Parts of the Body Involved

Chest, lungs

Reasons for Procedure

A lung transplant is done to treat irreversible, life-threatening lung disease, such as:
  • End-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH)
  • Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Severe scarring or inflammation of the bronchioles (smallest airways), from any number of causes

Risk Factors for Complications during the Procedure

People whose lung function has been deteriorating for a long period of time are at the highest risk of developing complications from lung transplantation.

What to Expect

Prior to Procedure

Before you have a lung transplant, you will go through an intensive evaluation to determine if you are a good candidate for this surgery. During the evaluation, which often requires a hospital stay, you will have some or all of the following tests:
  • Physical exam
  • Blood tests
  • Tissue typing
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)

Outcome

It takes about six months to recover from this surgery. Over 60% of lung transplant patients survive three years or more after transplantation.

Call Your Doctor If Any of the Following Occurs

  • Signs of infection, including fever and chills; you are more susceptible to infections while taking immunosuppressive medications
  • Redness, swelling, increasing pain, excessive bleeding, or discharge at the incision site
  • Cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, or severe nausea or vomiting
  • Increased sputum (phlegm) production
  • Coughing up blood
  • The surgical incision opens
  • Changes in your weight or blood pressure
  • New chest pain
  • Pain, burning, urgency, frequency of urination, or persistent bleeding in the urine