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Article: Lung Transplantation
- Article from:
- Gale Encyclopedia of Surgery: A Guide for Patients andCaregivers
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Lung transplantation
Definition
Lung transplantation involves removal of one or both diseased lungs from a patient and the replacement of the lungs with healthy organs from a donor. Lung transplantation may refer to single, double, or even
heart-lung transplantation
.
Purpose
The purpose of lung transplantation is to replace a lung that no longer functions with a healthy lung. To perform a lung transplantation, there should be potential for rehabilitated breathing function. Other medical treatments should be attempted before transplantion is considered. Many candidates for this procedure have end-stage fibrotic lung disease, are dependent on
oxygen therapy
, and are likely to ...