Lung transplant is surgery to replace one or both diseased lungs with healthy lungs from a human donor.

A lung transplant is usually the last resort treatment for lung failure. The new lung or lungs are donated by someone who has been declared brain-dead but remains on life-support. The donor tissue must be matched as closely as possible to that of the recipient to reduce the odds that the transplanted tissue will be rejected.

While the recipient is unconscious and pain-free (general anesthesia), an incision is made in the chest. Tubes are used to re-route blood to a heart-lung bypass machine to provide oxygen and move blood through the body during the surgery.

One or both of the patient's lungs are removed, and the donor lung or lungs are stitched (sutured) into place. Chest tubes are inserted to drain air, fluid, and blood out of the chest for several days to allow the lungs to fully re-expand.

Sometimes heart and lung transplants are done at the same time (heart-lung transplant), if the patient's heart is also diseased.

Lung transplants may be recommended for patients with any severe lung disease. Some examples of disease that may require lung transplant are:

• Cystic fibrosis
• Emphysema
• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• Sarcoidosis

Lung transplant is not recommended for:

• Patients who are too sick to go through the procedure
• Patients whose lung disease will likely affect the new lung(s)
• Patients who have severe disease of other organs

Risks for any anesthesia are:

• Breathing problems
• Reactions to the medications

• Bleeding
• Infection

• Blood clots (deep venous thrombosis)
• Infections due to anti-rejection (immunosuppression) medications