Lung Transplant | American Lung Association

As with any chronic medical condition, your pulmonary (lung) condition could reach a point of debilitation often known as end-stage, whereupon activities of daily living are severely limited and impaired.   It’s often at this time that lung transplantation becomes a viable option for you and your healthcare provider to consider.  

Lung transplantation may be a treatment option if you are  living with a severe lung disease that no longer responds to medications or other treatments.  Transplantation has been shown to improve not only quality of life but also life expectancy. Though considered a high-risk surgery, the results are often worth the risk. If you and your medical team decide that you could be a candidate for a lung transplant, it is important to be prepared and learn as much as you can about the procedure before you begin. 

There are things you can do to make yourself a stronger candidate for a lung transplant. Most important is medical adherence. Given the scarcity of lungs, as opposed to other organs, as well as the strict post-operative follow-up and the medication regimens, potential transplant recipients should always be compliant with medications, medical appointments and recommended  vaccinations. Transplant outcomes are the best when you are in the ‘most optimized’ condition, and so you may need to modify your diet and exercise regimen. Additionally, you will need to have a strong support network and maintain a tobacco-free lifestyle.  

A lung transplant is not an option for everyone or every lung disease, and every case is reviewed very closely by a network of physicians, nurses, coordinators and social workers deemed a ‘transplant team’. 

Conditions that May be Treated by a Lung Transplant

Types of Lung Transplants

Single lung transplant: One of your diseased or damaged lungs will be removed and replaced by a healthy donor lung.

Double lung transplant: Both lungs will be removed and replaced by healthy donor lungs.

Heart-lung transplant: One or both of your lungs and your heart is replaced by a healthy donor’s lung(s) and heart. This is often indicated when you have evidence of heart disease related to or separate from your underlying lung condition.