Indications for Lung Transplantation and Patient Selection

Abstract

Globally, thousands of patients undergo lung transplantation owing to end-stage lung disease each year. As lung transplantation evolves, recommendations and indications are constantly being updated. In 2021, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation published a new consensus document for selecting candidates for lung transplantation. However, it is still difficult to determine appropriate candidates for lung transplantation among patients with complex medical conditions and various diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze each patient’s overall situation and medical condition from various perspectives, and ongoing efforts to optimize the analysis will be necessary. The purpose of this study is to review the extant literature and discuss recent updates.

Lung Transplantation as a treatment strategy for Pulmonary Emphysema

“…Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most frequent indications for LTx, accounting for approximately one-third of cases worldwide [1]. However, despite the high symptom burden as lung function declines, identifying patients who will achieve a survival benefit from LTx is not always straightforward.…”