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Lung Transplantation
Reviewed by Medicinsk Expert•Last updated: 2026-10-22•Transplantation Donation

Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation replaces a diseased lung with a healthy donor organ for patients with severe, life-limiting respiratory conditions.

Overview

A lung transplant removes a person's diseased lung and replaces it with a healthy one. The healthy lung comes from a donor who has died. Some people receive one lung during a transplant, while others receive two.

Candidates for Transplantation

Lung transplants are used for people who are likely to die from lung disease within 1 to 2 years. Their conditions are so severe that other treatments, such as medicines or breathing devices, no longer work. Lung transplants most often are used to treat people who have severe:

  • COPD
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
  • Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
  • Pulmonary hypertension

Complications

Complications of lung transplantation include rejection of the transplanted lung and infection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Patients must seek immediate medical attention for signs of infection or rejection, such as a fever over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, new or worsening shortness of breath, chest pain, or a change in the color or amount of sputum. Early detection of these symptoms is vital because lung rejection can progress rapidly and requires urgent adjustment of immunosuppressive medications to save the graft.
Dietary changes are primarily focused on preventing infection; patients are often advised to avoid raw or undercooked foods, unpasteurized dairy, and high-sugar items that can promote fungal growth. Exercise is encouraged to maintain lung capacity and muscle strength, but patients must strictly follow guidelines to avoid exposure to crowds or sick individuals, often requiring the use of masks in public spaces and careful hand hygiene.
Generally, a history of cancer is a major barrier to transplantation eligibility. Most transplant centers require a cancer-free period of at least five years before listing a patient, as the necessary lifelong immunosuppressive drugs would significantly increase the risk of the cancer returning. Exceptions may be made for certain low-risk skin cancers, but this is determined on a case-by-case basis by the transplant board.
The waiting time varies significantly based on blood type, body size, and the severity of the illness, but it can range from a few months to several years. Because lungs are highly sensitive to time outside the body, the organ must be transplanted within a very short window after retrieval, which makes finding a compatible match quickly critical for survival.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine

MedlinePlus brings together authoritative health information from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and other government agencies and health-related organizations.

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