Lung Transplant

This is the transplant of a single lung, and is often used to treat pulmonary fibrosis.

This is the transplant of both lungs, and is used to treat patients with cystic fibrosis or COPD.

This is the transplant of the heart along with both lungs. It is used for patients with severe pulmonary hypertension.

For a planned living transplant, both the recipient and donor undergo various evaluations to ensure they are healthy enough for the surgery. In the case of a cadaver organ transplant, the patient’s health is thoroughly assessed and brought to an optimal state to withstand the procedure.

The surgeon makes an incision across the patient’s chest to remove the damaged lung(s). Depending on the individual circumstances, the patient may be connected to a heart and lung bypass machine to keep their blood circulating during the operation. The donated lung(s) are then connected to the relevant airways and blood vessels, and the chest is closed.

Once the new lung(s) are in place, the patient is taken to the intensive care unit to begin recovery. Anti-rejection injections may be given to ensure the body accepts the new organ and minimize the risk of failure.