Lung transplantation

The supply of donor organs remains extremely limited, and improved methods of maintaining the lungs of potential donors to allow for transplantation must be developed. Currently the upper limit of donor lung ischemic even with our "best" preservation techniques is approximately 4 to 6 hours. Improved methods for preservation will increase the supply of suitable lungs and will considerably simplify the logistics of transplantation just as has occurred with liver transplantation. Efficient use of donor organs remains of paramount importance. We recently performed two single-lung transplants utilizing lungs from one donor. Likewise, there is no reason why a lung could not be sent to another center for transplantation if the harvesting group uses only one lung. Sufficient progress has been achieved to date to warrant continued application of lung transplantation for end-stage pulmonary disease. With increasing experience, one can anticipate refinement of techniques and broader application of these procedures. Single lung transplantation, initially restricted to patients with end-stage pulmonary fibrosis, has now been successfully applied to patients with emphysema, pulmonary hypertension, and other conditions. Although transplantation currently can offer real benefit only to a limited number of persons, it serves to create hope for many others. An additional benefit may prove to be the interest and attention that transplantation focuses on patients with end-stage lung disease and on the pathophysiology of chronic respiratory failure. Knowledge gained may ultimately result in the prevention of many of the disorders for which lung transplantation currently offers the only hope.