A lung transplant is a process in which a surgeon replaces a failing or diseased respiratory organ with a healthy lung. Lung transplant surgery is for those patients who have attempted different medicines but whose conditions haven’t improved.

Risks and syndromes

The main risk in lung transplant surgery is organ dismissal. It happens when your own immune system attacks your donor lung as if it were a disease.

There are some other risks:

•  Diabetes.
• Damage to the kidney.
• Stomach-related problems.
• Osteoporosis (thinning of bones).
• Blood clots and bleeding.
• Malignancies and cancer due to immunosuppressants’.

DIAGNOSIS

There are some tests that are conducted during a lung transplant:

• Computed tomography of the chest.
• X-ray of the chest.
• Cardiac arrest test.
• Pulmonary function test.
• Density test of bone minerals.
• Catheterization of the coronary artery.
• Blood tests for kidney and liver function, & a complete blood count (CBC).
• Blood types & antibodies present in the blood, for matching against potential organ donors.

PRECAUTIONS AFTER LIVER TRANSPLANT SURGERY:

• Eating plenty of vegetables and fruits daily.
• Cereals, whole-grain bread, and this type of other food.
• Fat-free or low-fat milk consumption.
• Low-salt diet maintenance.
• Avoiding alcohol.
• Stay hydrated with adequate water and other fluids.

DURATION

The procedure for lung transplant surgery takes a few hours. But the hospital stay is about 20–25 days.

SUCCESS RATE

The success rate of lung transplant surgery varies depending on whether a single or both lungs are transplanted. The average success rate of a lung transplant is 60–70%.