Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation is surgery to replace one or both diseased lungs with a healthy lung or lungs from a donor. During the operation, the surgeon makes a cut in the chest and removes the diseased lung. The surgeon then sews the new lung to the main blood vessels and air passage.

Your doctor may recommend a lung transplant if you have disease that cannot be controlled any other way. These diseases include

• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• Interstitial lung diseases
• Primary pulmonary hypertension

Complications of lung transplantation include rejection of the transplanted lung and infection.