Lung and Heart-Lung Transplantation: Surgical Technique and Postoperative Considerations

Lung transplantation is the only treatment for patients diagnosed with end stage lung diseases. The first successful clinical single lung transplant and the first successful bilateral lung transplant were performed in Toronto in 1983 and 1986 respectively. The first successful heart-lung transplant was performed at Stanford in 1981. Since then, there have been major advances, not only in surgical technique, but also in pre- and postoperative management. Lung transplantation is now a relatively routine option for a wider selection of patients, but given the limited number of donor organs and the complications associated with thoracic organ transplantation, a transplant should be performed when no other treatment modality is available and by an experienced multi-disciplinary team.