Lung transplantation at the turn of the century.
Lung transplantation has become a viable treatment option for patients with end-stage lung disease. Donor selection and organ allocation must follow specific guidelines. Single, bilateral, and living-donor lobar transplantation have all been performed successfully for a variety of diseases. Complications include reimplantation response and airway complications. Rejection may occur in the hyperacute, acute, or chronic settings and requires judicious management with immunosuppression. Infection and malignancy remain potential complications of the commitment to lifelong systemic immunosuppression. Survival statistics have remained encouraging and continue to improve with experience. Improved exercise tolerance and quality of life have been demonstrated in the years following transplantation. Remaining obstacles include limited donor organ availability, long-term graft function, and patient survival. However, ongoing advances in immune tolerance and standardized training of physicians in the care of transplant patients should carry lung transplant forward in the twenty-first century.
DeMeo
D L
DL
Pulmonary and Critical Care Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. ddemeo@partners.org
Ginns
L C
LC
D005544:Forecasting; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D016040:Lung Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology / Q000639:trends*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011788:Quality of Life; D016019:Survival Analysis; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends