Lung Transplant

If most of the functionality of a person’s lung is destroyed due to any disease, lung transplant is an effective treatment option. The surgeon replaces the diseased or failing lung with a healthy one in this procedure. The availability of a healthy lung is normally from a deceased donor. This procedure can help one to breathe easily and give him/her a long life.

Doctors advise people to go for a lung transplant if they have severe, end-stage lung disease. The surgery becomes inevitable if it is found that without the surgery, a person will die and there are no other ways to cure him/her. People undergo lung transplant for the following lung diseases:

• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Cystic fibrosis
• Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension

If you feel any problem in your lungs, you can have an online doctor consultation in Kolkata at first. After that, you will have to personally visit the doctor for further consultation.

There is a detailed evaluation process for a lung transplant. The members of the medical team will ask you a number of questions. They will consider a number of things other than your lung condition. You need to undergo a number of tests including:

• CT scan of the chest
• Chest X-ray
• Bone mineral density test
• Cardiac stress test
• Pulmonary function tests
• Coronary artery catheterization
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Blood tests for liver function and
• kidney function
• Antibodies present in the blood
• Blood type

It is beneficial if you take online doctor appointment every time you visit your doctor. A lot of time and energy can be saved in this way.

Your name will be registered in a list after the medical team decides that you are eligible for a lung transplant. You will have to wait until a donor is available. You will remain under close observation of the doctors during this waiting period. You may have to make some changes in your lifestyle like having regular exercise, consuming a healthy diet and avoiding tobacco. The doctors may also suggest you take part in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. This will help in improving your health and also carrying your daily work before and after the surgery. When a donor is available, the doctors will again carry out some tests. They will finalize the surgery once you pass these tests.

As per your requirement, there may be a single lung transplant or a double lung transplant. In your chest, the surgeon will make a large incision. When there is a single lung transplant, the incision will only be on one side of the chest. In the case of a double lung transplant, the incision can be across the entire width in front of the chest or on either side. You will remain completely unconscious under the effect of general anaesthesia during the whole procedure. It often happens during the surgery that your blood is pumped and enriched with oxygen with the help of a machine. This process is called cardiopulmonary bypass. After making the incision, the surgeon will replace your diseased lungs with healthy ones from the donor. After that, the blood vessels connecting your lungs and heart and the main airway to your lungs will be connected to the donor’s lungs.