Lung Transplantation is for Critically Ill Cystic Fibrosis Patients

At this time, it is an eventual necessity that cystic fibrosis patients will need a double-lung transplant at sometime in their life. They will need this radical procedure unless they die of some other complication before the condition of their lungs

deteriorates to the point they cannot function anymore, regardless of what other therapies are utilized. 

At one institution, the age range of patients getting double-lung transplants in 2007 was 5-years-old to 45 years of age. Supply of acceptable donor lungs is always a problem. It was reported in the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery that at one institute, which performed forty four cystic fibrosis related double-lung transplants, there were an additional eighteen patients that died waiting for donor lungs in the same period.

Survival rates were deemed acceptable and were approximately 67 percent after two years. At the subject institution, there were no operative deaths, but there were deaths from infection in 10 percent of the transplant patients within six months of the operation. Twelve percent of the forty four patients required heart bypass operations immediately after the lung transplant due to the extra stress put on the cardiovascular system.

While the doctors at this sample institution found these statistics acceptable, many cystic fibrosis patients feel that maintaining a positive attitude and proactive involvement in maintaining a high level of health are preferable to getting to the stage where a double transplant is required.

Only patients with the most severe cases of cystic fibrosis can be considered for double-lung transplants. Severe is defined as a condition where damaged lungs have lost the ability to function, compelling doctors to put the patient on mechanical oxygen supplies.