Anaesthesia for lobar lung transplantation from living donors

The shortage of cadaveric organs for transplantation has led to the increasing use of organs from living donors. Transplantation offers an increased length and quality of life for patients with end stage lung disease, although up to 30% of patients die before a cadaveric organ becomes available. This article summarizes the experience of lung transplantation from living donors at one United Kingdom centre. Donor and recipient selection will be outlined, and the perioperative management of both discussed. The ethical considerations of the use of lung tissue from living donors are also considered at length and common complications discussed.