Lung Transplantation for Patients with COVID-19 Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may exhibit pulmonary fibrosis after the viral illness resolves. Some of these patients may experience severe functional lung impairment, and thus require transplants to prevent death or maintain a tolerable quality of life. Considering the reversibility of COVID-19 ARDS, lung transplant candidates are observed for 1-2 months and must be selected very carefully before transplantation. As the short-term outcomes of such patients are comparable to those of patients with other indications for transplantation, lung transplantation should be actively considered.