Pediatric Lung Transplantation | For Parents

Why might a child need a lung transplant?

Patients are considered for lung transplantation when their lung disease can not be significantly improved by either medical therapy or surgery and there is a high probability of death. Many types of lung disease may lead to end-stage pulmonary failure. In some cases, the lung disease may also severely affect the function of the heart. The failure of the lungs and /or heart results in poor quality of life and severely limited life expectancy.

There are three options for lung transplantation-replacement of one lung(single lung transplantation), replacement of both lungs(double lung transplantation), and replacement of both lungs and the heart(heart-lung transplantation). The type of transplant operation which is chosen depends on the specific type of lung disease and the patient’s heart function.

Indications for Single Lung Transplantation:

• Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Pulmonary Hypertension

Only if somatic growth nearly complete and single lung offered is perfect size and health

Indications for Double Lung Transplantation (also called Bilateral Single Lung Transplantation):

• Pulmonary Fibrosis
• Primary
• Pulmonary Hypertension and other types of pulmonary vascular disease
• Interstitial Lung Disease
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Pulmonary hypertension with structural heart defect(s) amenable to surgical repair
• Surfactant B Protein Deficiency
• Alveolar Proteinosis
• Bronchiolitis Obliterans

Common Indications for a combined Heart-Lung Transplantation:

• Pulmonary hypertension with structural heart defect(s) not amenable to surgical repair.
• Patients with severe heart failure involving the left ventricle (main pumping chamber) in conjunction with the lung disease due to any of the conditions listed above.