Pediatric lung transplantation: families' need for understanding

Fifteen parents of 12 children who had undergone lung transplantation described their relationships with others, such as members of their extended family, coworkers, and friends prior to, during, and following the transplantation. We conducted a content analysis to formulate a narrative description of the parents' relationships with others. The parents described their relationships in terms of the support they received from them. Some parents described diminishing support in the posttransplantation period, which they attributed, in part, to a lack of understanding. This finding may reflect the influence that living with a physical condition with long-term consequences, such as lung transplantation, may have on some interpersonal relationships. Pediatric lung transplantation is an increasingly common treatment regimen for children with end-stage lung or pulmonary vascular disease. Promoting understanding of what it is like to live with a lung transplantation may help to maintain support for these families.