The Procedure of Lung Transplantation

November 22 08:37 2021 Print This Article

The Day of Surgery

• Once the surgery is confirmed, you will be taken to the operating room.
• The surgery can take anywhere from eight to ten hours.
• Your family will be shown where to wait and will be kept informed through your surgery. Your surgery may be a single, double-lung or heart-lung transplantation depending on your medical condition.

During the Surgery

• An incision will be made across your chest for a double (bilateral) and heart-lung transplant or along both sides of your chest (bilateral) and on the side of your chest for a single transplant.
• A breathing tube will be inserted to help you breathe.
• A tube will be inserted through your nose and into your stomach to drain fluid.
• A tube will be inserted into your bladder to drain urine.
• Multiple tubes will be inserted into your chest to drain fluid.
• Intraoperative extra-corporeal support may be instituted according to need.
• You will receive IV medications.
• Your lung(s) will be removed and replaced with donor lung(s).
• If needed, a feeding tube will be placed into your stomach.

After Surgery

• Immediately following surgery, you will be brought to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
• Respiratory therapy will begin once you are stable and your new lungs are working with a goal of having you up and walking by day 2.
• Once your medical condition is stable, the breathing tube is removed and we will attempt to mobilise you. The monitoring tubes will be removed sequentially at this stage.
• Once you are stable, you will be transferred to the transplant ward and your medications will be optimized.
• Typically, most people require 2-3 weeks in hospital for this.

Rejection and Managing the Same

• Your long-term success depends on many things, including your adherence to recommended treatments and monitoring.
• Our goal is to have you return to the best health possible as quickly as possible. You and your family are partners with us in achieving these goals.
• Sometimes, a patient will do exactly as we ask and still experience problems.
• While lung transplantation has saved many lives, there are risks for complications and side effects that can occur after surgery.
• It is important to be aware of these possibilities when considering transplantation as an option for you. The life-long monitoring after transplant is to diagnose these conditions at an earlier date so that they can be easily managed
  • You will have to be on lifelong immunosuppression (antirejection) medications.
  • Post-transplant, you can develop infection because of reduced immunity or rejection because of incompatibility, leading to readmission to the hospital.
  • There can be delayed healing of the airway connections made during surgery, needing repeated bronchoscopy with dilatation or stenting.
  • There is an increased risk of a decline in kidney function or kidney failure due to the antirejection medications over the next ten years following a successful transplant.
  • There is also an increased risk of cancer due to lowering of immunity caused by the anti-rejection medications.

Please contact us at +91 9150277712 for approx. cost details.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.  How long does lung transplantation surgery take?

Lung transplantation surgery typically lasts from 8 to 10 hours.

2. What happens during lung transplantation surgery?

During surgery, incisions are made in the chest, tubes are inserted to assist breathing and drain fluid, and the diseased lung(s) are replaced with donor lung(s).

3. What are the risks and complications associated with lung transplantation?

Risks include rejection, infection due to reduced immunity, delayed healing, decline in kidney function, and increased risk of cancer due to anti-rejection medications.

4. What is the long-term care required after lung transplantation?

Patients need to adhere to lifelong immunosuppression medication regimens and undergo regular monitoring for potential complications.

5. How soon can I return to normal activities after lung transplantation?

The timeline for returning to normal activities varies for each patient but typically involves a gradual progression as guided by medical professionals.

Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.

Chennai – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801