Pulmonary Retransplant for a Patient with Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome and Hepatitis C Viremia: An Ethical Case Analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and analyze the ethical appropriateness of pulmonary retransplantation as a viable treatment option for end-stage bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, commonly referred to as chronic rejection. Lung transplantation has become a life-saving treatment for patients with advanced lung disease, yet retransplantation not, for reasons not clearly elucidated. Though statistics show comparable survival of retransplant to primary transplant recipients, this is not an option often considered. Through the course of clinical practice, it became evident that retransplantation had many ethical components that were not fully investigated as part of the retransplantation process. This paper is to identify the relevant ethical considerations regarding pulmonary retransplantation.