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What you can expect
By Mayo Clinic staff
During your lung transplant
When you arrive at the hospital, you will have a brief examination, which may include blood tests, urine samples and a chest X-ray.
You will be taken to an operating room area while waiting for final assessment of the donor lung. If the donor lung is unacceptable, the transplant will be canceled. If the donor lung is acceptable, the transplant team will inform you and your family, and the transplant will proceed as planned.
A lung transplant may take from four to 12 hours, depending on the specific procedure.
In a single-lung transplant, the surgeon makes an incision on the side of your chest and removes the diseased lung. The main blood vessels to and from the new lung and the main airway of the new lung are sewn to your main blood vessels and airway. Sometimes a heart-lung machine is used to regulate blood flow and oxygen supply during the procedure. The incision for a double-lung transplant is made across the middle of the chest. The process is similar to that of the single-lung transplant, but the surgeon will do the entire procedure on one lung before repeating it on the other.
If you're receiving a heart-lung transplant, you'll be hooked up to a heart-lung machine. The diseased organs are removed, except for a small portion of the heart to which the new heart will be sewn. The new organs are transplanted as a whole system — the donor heart and lungs aren't separated from each other. The airways of the new lungs are attached to your main airway, and the main blood vessel (aorta) of the new heart is attached to your aorta.
After your lung transplant
After the surgery you'll have a ventilator to help you breathe and tubes in your chest to drain fluids from around your lungs and heart. Expect soreness or pain around the incision site while you're healing. Recovery often involves a one- to three-week hospital stay.
After you're discharged from the hospital, you'll require about three months of frequent monitoring by the lung transplant team to prevent, detect and treat complications and to assess your lung function. During this time, you'll need to stay close to the transplant center. Your follow-up visits may involve laboratory tests, chest X-rays, an electrocardiogram (ECG), and checkups with a transplant pulmonologist.
After your transplant, living a healthy lifestyle is key to sustaining your new lung. Smoking isn't allowed, and the use of alcohol is strictly limited. Following a nutritious diet also can help you stay healthy post-transplant.
Exercise is an extremely important part of rehabilitation after your lung transplant. A regular schedule of moderate exercise will help you make the most of your new lung by increasing your endurance, strength, energy level and the ability to do physical activity. Your health care team will work with you to design an exercise program that's right for you.
