As with any chronic medical condition, your lung (pulmonary) condition can reach a point of weakness, often known as end-stage, where activities of daily living are severely limited and impaired. It is often at this point that lung transplantation becomes a viable option for you and your healthcare provider to consider.

Lung transplantation may be a treatment option if you are living with a serious lung disease that no longer responds to medication or other treatments. Transplantation has been shown to improve not only quality of life but also life expectancy. Although considered a high-risk operation, the results are often worth the risk. If you and your medical team decide that you might be a candidate for a lung transplant, it’s important to be prepared and learn as much as possible about the procedure before you begin.

There are things you can do to make yourself a stronger candidate for a lung transplant. The most important thing is medical compliance. Given the lack of lungs, unlike other organs, as well as the strict postoperative follow-up and medication regimens, potential transplant recipients should always adhere to medications, medical appointments, and recommended vaccinations. Transplant results are best when you are in the ‘most optimized’ state, so it may be necessary to change your diet and exercise plan. In addition, you must have a strong support network and maintain a tobacco-free lifestyle.

A lung transplant is not an option for everyone or every lung disease and each case is reviewed very carefully by a network of doctors, nurses, coordinators and social workers who are considered a ‘transplant team’.

Conditions that can be treated with a lung transplant

Types of lung transplants

Single lung transplant: One of your diseased or damaged lungs will be removed and replaced by a healthy donor lung.

Double lung transplant: Both lungs will be removed and replaced by healthy donor lungs.

Heart-lung transplant: One or both of your lungs and heart are replaced by a healthy donor’s lung(s) and heart. This is often indicated when you have signs of heart disease related to or separate from your underlying lung condition.