Lung transplant

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By Mayo Clinic staff

A lung transplant can substantially improve your quality of life. The first year after the transplant — when surgical complications, rejection and infection pose the greatest threats — is the most critical period.

Organ rejection after transplant is possible, and sometimes the underlying cause of lung disease damages the new lung. If your new lung fails, subsequent treatment options may be limited. The survival rate for single-lung transplants is more than 82 percent at one year, nearly 60 percent at three years, and more than 43 percent at five years, according to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. The survival rate for double-lung transplants is similar — 82 percent at one year, 63 percent at three years, and 48 percent at five years.

MY00106

Sept. 26, 2008

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