Lung allograft transplantation: indications, preoperative assessment and postoperative management

In spite of a shortage of available donors, an increasing number of heart-lung transplantations have been performed within the last decade. This procedure, first limited to patients with pulmonary vascular disease, has been successfully extended to patients with end stage lung disease, including cystic fibrosis. More recently, single lung, double-lung and bilateral single lung transplantation have become other therapeutic options. Better selection of patients and donors as well as improvements in surgical techniques and immunosuppression regimens have contributed to the reduction in the high perioperative mortality experienced in the early stages. Moreover, the introduction of daily spirometry and transbronchial lung biopsies have permitted early and reliable diagnosis of opportunistic infection and rejection. The most serious late complication of lung transplantation is obliterative bronchiolitis and further research is urgently required to improve diagnosis and management of this condition.