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A heart-lung transplant is a major and rarely performed surgical procedure where a person's diseased heart and lungs are replaced with those of a recently deceased donor.
Articles for Heart-lung transplant
Introduction
A heart-lung transplant is a major and rarely performed surgical procedure where a person's diseased heart and lungs are replaced with those of a recently deceased donor. A heart-lung transplant is the only treatment available for people who have combined heart and lung failure when all other treatment options have failed.
Recover from heart-lung transplant
Following a heart-lung transplant, you'll probably need to stay in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) for a few days. This is because: you'll need to be carefully monitored to make sure the organs are working, there's a risk your body may suddenly reject the new organs, etc.
Risks
One of the biggest risks after having a heart-lung transplant is that, despite taking immunosuppressants, your body will reject the new heart and lungs.
What happens before and during a heart-lung transplant
If a heart-lung transplant is thought to be a potential treatment for you, you'll be asked to have an assessment before potentially being placed on the transplant waiting list.
