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| *Health issues>>>Mental Health issues |
What do you know about Lung Transplants? |
Issue Do they have lungs at the hospital already they keep for matches? Do you have a big waiting list? We are about 11/2 hours from Univ MD and Baltimore. Just wanted to get an idea before I start the research for my father, who has emphysema and will be in need. Best Tip I had a bi-lateral lung transplant due to Cystic Fibrosis on 08/26/04 in St. Louis, MO at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. First, your dad needs to see a pulmonologist and get referred for a lung transplant evaluation. There are many different aspects to the evaluation - basically he will be evaluated for health (must be healthy other than the emphysema and anything directly affected by it), mental stability, support network (family, friends, etc. that can help before, during and after transplant), and financial capability both for the transplant and the post transplant medications that he will be on for the rest of his life. If he smokes he MUST stop or there is no chance of transplant whatsoever. If there are immediate family members that smoke they should stop as well. Each center also has age guidelines so he will need to be within those set by the center he selects. Unfortunately there is a huge shortage of organs so the transplant team has to make very difficult decisions about who will best qualify for the program and adhere to the post-transplant medical regimine and life-style. No lungs are not kept at the hospital waiting for matches. Lungs are matched based on blood type and the size of both the donor and recepient (they can downsize lungs to some extent if necessary). Once donor lungs become available and you get "the call" you immediately go to the hospital for final review/evaluation (confirming no present infections, etc.) and while that's occurring the donor's lungs are being harvested, evaluated for transplant viability and transported to the center (unless the donor happens to already be at the hospital aligned with the center). It's not uncommon for there to be at least one "dry run" before suitable donor lungs are found and transplanted. Since lungs are so easily damaged in accidents or by people smoking or working with chemicals, etc. they are more difficult to obtain than some of the other organs that are transplanted. If it turns out your father also needs a heart then they will typically not perform his transplant until they can obtain both the heart and lungs from the same donor since it's a much smoother operation and only requires one surgery/recover period for the recepient instead of two. The transplant center will also have specific requirements about how close you remain to the center once you're toward the top of the list and for the time period after the transplant. Your father should be prepared to relocate for a minimum of a few months, depending on the center's requirements. He will also need a caretaker 24/7 post surgery since he won't be able to drive for several weeks, will need assistance with his new routine, lifting heavier objects (for a period of time), going to and from daily hospital and rehab visits, etc. The family/friends can rotate these responsibilities but it is vital that anyone he is around be illness free and not have been around anyone else they know is ill. You're father's immune system will be greatly suppressed after the surgery to prevent rejection and he will continue on immunosuppression medications for the rest of his life. If he is not already diabetic it is likely he will be post-transplant due to the medications that are commonly given. As the medication dosages are adjusted and reduced he may or may not return to a non-diabetic state. Is the waiting list long? Yes, but lungs are allocated based on greatest medical need (who is the sickest but can still survive the surgery) rather than the old approach of it being based on wait time. Some of the transplant centers do perform live donor lung transplants but it's not a common procedure. Is the transplant worth it? Very much so and it's quite a miracle to experience. The thought of it is very overwhelming but there are many people on the transplant team aside from just the doctors and they are there to help you every step of the way. You'll also find that other transplant patients can help answer your questions or know what to expect. I wish you the best and good breathing. Source(s): 39 year old Cystic Fibrosis patient - 2 years post bi-lateral lung transplant Others Stop smoking |
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