Lung Transplant and Procedure
for lung transplant
Functions of Lungs
• Lungs play the central
role in the respiratory
system.
• It is an organ that
performs the process
of respiration by
providing the oxygen
for metabolism & life
sustenance while
inhaling and expels
carbon dioxide from
the body.
• The labelled diagram
of lungs is this 
When is lung transplant needed?
• Lung transplant is required when the lungs of
a patient are not functioning to the optimum
level.
• Lung transplant is a last resort treatment
option for patients with last-stage lung
diseases showing no significant improvements
from other conventional medical methods.
Reasons for lung transplant
• Generally, lung transplant is required for
patients suffering from:
– Bronchiectasis
– Sarcoidosis
– chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),
including emphysema
– cystic fibrosis
– primary (idiopathic) pulmonary hypertension
Is lung transplant done for lung cancer
patients?
• Ideally, any lung transplant requires the
patient to not have any recent infections or
cancer.
• In a last-stage cancer, the cancerous cells
would have spread to different parts of the
body, defeating the purpose of a transplant.
• Yet, on a one-to-one case basis, lung
transplant can be done if the cancer is
contained only till the lungs.
Types of Lung transplants
• Depending on the severity and patients’
condition, they may undergo any one of the
following transplants:
– Lobe Transplant
– Single Lung transplant
– Double Lung Transplant
– Lung-heart transplant
Risks in lung transplant
• Organ rejection – The body considers the donated organ as
a foreign object and the immune system attacks the lungs
• Immunosuppresent side effects – Post-operative care
involves taking immuno-suppresent drugs to avoid the body
from rejecting the new lungs. The side-effects of this drug
makes the patient prone to any form of infections and
conditions such as:
–
–
–
–
–
–
bleeding and blood clots
cancer and malignancies due to immunosuppressants
Diabetes
kidney damage
stomach problems
thinning of your bones (osteoporosis)
Essential criteria for a lung transplant
• availability of a matching lung
• blood type
• geographic distance between donor and
recipient
• the severity of your condition
• the size of the donor lung
• your overall health
Facts about Lung transplant
• 1983: First successful long-term single lung
transplant (Tom Hall) by Joel Cooper (Toronto)
• 1986: First successful long-term double lung
transplant (Ann Harrison) by Joel D. Cooper
(Toronto)
• 1988: First successful long-term double lung
transplant for cystic fibrosis by Joel Cooper
(Toronto).
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