Heart-lung transplant

A heart-lung transplant is a procedure carried out to replace both heart and lungs in a single operation. Due to a shortage of suitable donors it is rarely done, and only about 100 such transplants are performed each year in the USA.

Qualifying Conditions

Most candidates for heart-lung transplants have life-threatening damage to both their heart and lungs. In the US, most prospective candidates have between 12 and 24 months to live. At any one time, there are about 250 people on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in the USA - about 40 of those will die before a suitable donor is found.

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Conditions which may necessitate a heart-lung transplant include:

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• Congenital problems (defects present at birth) affecting the heart and lungs (48%)
• Pulmonary hypertension (20%)
• Cystic Fibrosis (2%)
• A second transplant after the first transplant failed to 'take' or was rejected (4%)

Candidates for a heart-lung transplant are usually required to be:

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• Under 55 years old
• Have no other medical conditions (eg. AIDS, Diabetis, Hepatitis)
• Mentally sound
• Capable of following a post-op regiment of exercise and immunosuppressant drugs