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Lung transplant - series

Lung transplant

Definition

Lung transplant is surgery to replace one or both diseased lungs with healthy lungs from a human donor.

Alternative Names

Solid organ transplant - lung

Description

The new lung or lungs are usually donated by someone who has been declared brain-dead but remains on life-support. The donor tissue must be matched as closely as possible to your tissue type to reduce the odds that your body will reject the transplanted lung.

Lungs can also be given by living donors. Two or more people are needed. Each donates a section (lobe) of their lung to form an entire lung for the person receiving it.

During lung transplant surgery, you are unconscious and pain-free (under general anesthesia). A surgical cut is made in the chest.

• For single lung transplants, the cut is made on the side of your chest that will be receiving the lung. The operation takes 4 - 8 hours.
• For double lung transplants, the cut is made below the breast. Surgery generally takes 6 - 12 hours. Tubes are used to reroute blood to a heart-lung bypass machine to provide oxygen and move blood through the body during the surgery.

After the cut is made, the major steps during lung transplant surgery include:

• One or both of your lungs are removed. For those receiving a double lung transplant, most or all of the steps from the first transplant are completed before the second transplant is done.
• The main blood vessels and airway of the new lung are sewn to your main blood vessel and airway. The donor lung or lungs are stitched (sutured) into place. Chest tubes are inserted to drain air, fluid, and blood out of the chest for several days to allow the lungs to fully re-expand.

Sometimes heart and lung transplants are done at the same time (heart-lung transplant) if the heart is also diseased.

Risks

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• Breathing problems
• Reactions to the medications

Risks for any surgery are:

• Bleeding
• Infection

Other risks of transplant include:

• Blood clots (deep venous thrombosis)
• Increased risk for infections due to anti-rejection (immunosuppression) medications
• Damage to your kidneys, liver, or other body organs from immunosuppression medications

Review Date: 4/23/2009
Reviewed By: Allen J. Blaivas, DO, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine UMDNJ-NJMS, Attending Physician in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Veteran Affairs, VA New Jersey Health System, East Orange, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.