Isolated lung transplantation. Analysis of 17 consecutive operations. Munich Lung Transplant Group

Abstract

16 patients (nine men, seven women; mean age 45 [23-62] years) with end-stage pulmonary disease underwent lung transplantation, 14 unilateral, three bilateral (one bilateral retransplantation). The diagnoses were: emphysema (n = 5), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (n = 5), emphysema in alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (n = 1), mucoviscidosis (n = 1), drug-induced fibrosis (n = 1), chronic lung rejection after heart-lung transplantation (n = 1), secondary pulmonary hypertension with persistent ductus arteriosus (n = 1), sarcoidosis (n = 1) and chronic transplant failure after unilateral transplantation (n = 1). Eleven patients survived long-term (mean follow-up period 247 [8-585] days). Ten of these patients have been independent of additional oxygen after an average of 8 months postoperatively, eight are physically active according to their age. Three patients died of reperfusion damage intraoperatively or in the early postoperative period. The two other patients died from septicaemia 5 1/2 and 7 months postoperatively. It is concluded that lung transplantation in end-stage pulmonary disease provides the only therapeutic means with any expectation of physical rehabilitation.