Can lung transplantation be done for pulmonary fibrosis? Is it difficult?

Pulmonary fibrosis is a more difficult respiratory disease. Although it is not as fatal as cancer, it can cause great harm to the body if allowed to develop. For many very serious cases of pulmonary fibrosis, if respiratory failure and other hazards occur, patients may consider lung transplantation, that is, lung replacement as a treatment method.

When respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and diffuse bronchiectasis develop to a severe stage, respiratory and circulatory insufficiency and failure will occur, and lung transplantation is the only thorough and ultimate treatment. Unfortunately, most people only know that kidneys and livers can be transplanted, but they don’t know that lungs can also be transplanted. In clinical practice, many patients do not seek treatment until their lung disease deteriorates to the late stage, but it is often too late.

Why is lung transplantation so difficult?

Lung transplantation is commonly known as lung replacement. The lungs are the organs that supply oxygen to the entire body. No part of our body can survive without oxygen. When a person's lung function progressively declines to a certain level, it will seriously affect his ability to move, and he may even need oxygen to maintain life. Moreover, his condition may suddenly worsen and endanger his life at any time due to factors such as infection. In this case, only a lung transplant could save his life. From another perspective, the lungs are respiratory organs that are connected to the outside world and easily come into contact with bacteria. When transplanted, they must first overcome the infection barrier, making transplantation very difficult. ”

What diseases can be treated with a lung transplant?

Diseases suitable for lung transplantation are mainly various benign end-stage lung diseases, including emphysema, chronic asthma, bronchitis, diffuse bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis caused by various reasons, and interstitial lung lesions (including lung damage such as interstitial lung lesions caused by infection and drugs). Lung transplantation is widely carried out around the world, especially in European and American countries, where it has become quite mature. According to a 2015 report by the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), more than 51,440 lung transplant operations have been completed worldwide, with 1-year, 3-year and 5-year survival rates reaching 90%, 70% and 55% respectively. The median survival of patients after lung transplantation is 5.7 years, and the median survival of patients who survive for one year is 7.9 years.

If idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is not treated with lung transplantation, it will quickly progress to respiratory failure or death, and the patient's survival period is 2-4 years. Compared with lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis can be said to be a lung cancer that is not lung cancer.

Currently, there are thousands of pulmonary fibrosis patients in my country who can consider lung transplantation. Unfortunately, currently patients consider transplantation too late. Lung transplantation is considered only when they are on the verge of death. Patients are extremely weak and often die after surgery due to heart failure, inability to cough, lung infection, etc.; or it is too late and many patients die before they can even get a lung. For lung transplantation for pulmonary fibrosis, generally older patients undergo single lung transplantation, which causes less surgical damage and quicker recovery. For patients under 50 years old, double lung transplantation is recommended.