Donor considerations in living-related donor lung transplantation

Living donor lung transplantation has been performed in the United States since 1990. Based on the experience in living donor kidney transplantation which began in 1954, and living donor liver transplantation which began in 1989, considerable progress has occurred in surgical technique, selection of recipients and donors, and the indications for and timing of the procedure. The vast majority of living donor lung transplantations have been performed in patients with cystic fibrosis. Early results concerning graft function, donor recovery, and recipient outcome are encouraging.