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Lung Transplant
- Days In Hospital 7 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 21 days
- Success Rate 66%
Minimum Cost
$ 20000
Maximum Cost.
$ 50000
Overview of Lung Transplant in India
A lung transplant is a surgical intervention in which the lung that is diseased or damaged is replaced with a healthy lung from a donor. This procedure is usually performed on patients who have end-stage lung disease, or other lung-related conditions that do not respond to other medical therapy or aggressive medication. Depending on one's condition, a single lung, or both lungs are transplanted. In rare cases, a heart with two lungs is transplanted from a deceased donor to the recipient patient.
A lung transplant is not recommended when a patient is experiencing an active infection within their body or has other conditions, including cancer, heart disease, and kidney disease, and is unable to change their poor lifestyle, such as drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes etc. As is true for any surgery, lung transplant surgery has a lot of risks and complications that can be managed to expedite the recovery process. The first year after a lung transplant is termed the critical period with the most risk of rejection, as patients can remain alive for even 10 years in some cases post-lung transplant.
However, more than half of lung transplant patients will survive for five years afterward. The lung transplant procedure is a major surgically invasive procedure, and it can improve a patient's general health tremendously and overall quality of life.
What is a Lung Transplant?
Lung transplantation is a surgical procedure in which a the diseased or damaged lung is removed and replaced with a healthy lung from a donor. It is a complex procedure typically performed on patients with severe lung illness that other treatments cannot control. The overall goal of lung transplantation is to improve the quality of life and increase longevity for patients with end-stage lung disease.
Lung transplants are often indicated for patients with conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension, which can limit lung function and lead to intolerable situations, such as difficulty breathing, ongoing cough, and decreased ability to participate in what they consider regular activity. Most patients will ultimately feel that their symptoms of shortness of breath and cough greatly limit their ability to do daily activities and think that their quality of life has declined significantly.
When someone receives a lung transplant, multiple steps are involved in the process. Initially, the individual undergoes an evaluation process in which they are screened for the transplant procedure. This process consists of an interview to assess medical history, a physical examination, and several additional tests to evaluate overall health and lung function. If the patient is medically clear, they are placed on the waiting list for the donor lung.
Once a suitable donor lung is available, the patient is taken to the hospital for the procedure, which involves the surgical removal of the diseased lung and subsequent placement of the donor lung. The lung transplant procedure is hours long, the patient will require general anesthesia during the procedure. After the exchange, the patient will be monitored in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a week until doctors determine that the lung is functioning correctly and at standard capacity.
Eligibility Factors for a Lung Transplant
A major diagnosis of lung disease: The individual must have a diagnosis of a lung disease that is so severe that it meets surgical transplant criteria, established by comprehensive evaluation of their medical record - clinically referred to as End Stage Lung Disease.
Surgical suitability: Overall, the patient's medical condition should be sufficiently stable to endure the stress of transplant surgery.
Absence of other untreatable medical conditions: Patients should have no untreatable medical conditions that will limit their suitability for transplant surgery or their ability to recover from surgery.
Willingness and understanding: A desire for transplantation, and an understanding and acceptance of the responsibilities required before and after a transplant, are essential.
Age and physiologic medical fitness: While there are no absolute age cut offs, most candidates are evaluated on physiologic medical fitness, not chronological age. As a reference number, age over 70 years old is considered a relative contraindication for lung transplant.
No issues with substance abuse: Candidates should be free of a history of substance or alcohol abuse, which can affect the eligibility for transplant as well as the success of the transplant.
Adherence to a medical regimen: A history of adherence to treatment regimens is essential, as a strict medication regimen and follow-up is expected after the transplant.
Healthy body weight: Patients should weigh a healthy body weight for their height and age, as obesity or being underweight can affect surgical outcomes and recovery.
No recent history of cancer: Patients will usually not have a recent history of cancer, as the medication regime post-transplant will involve immunosuppressive medications which increases risk of recurrence of cancer.
Types of Lung Transplant:
Deceased Donor Lung Transplant
In this transplant, the healthy lungs are procured from an individual who has died, and whose organ donations have been authorized. The donor lungs are selected to match the person receiving the transplant according to factors, such as blood type, lung segmentation or sizing, and tissue compatibility.
Living Donor Lung Transplant
On occasion, a living individual can donate healthy lung lobe or lobe segment. This type of transplant is rare and is typically done only when the person's lungs are only partially damaged. It is also done when there is not a viable deceased lung donor.
Single Lung Transplant
A single lung transplant is required when a patient has a damaged single lung. Thus, a single lung is transplanted.
Double Lung Transplant
Both lungs will need to be transplanted if both lungs are in the end-stage of disease and for symptom relief. Double-lung transplants occur more often than single-lung transplants.
Heart-Lung Transplant
Heart-lung transplantation is a surgical procedure where both the heart and lungs are removed and replaced with healthy organs from deceased organ donors. Heart-lung transplantation is performed when the patient has a combination of severe, end-stage heart and lung disease.
Procedure:
Evaluation: The patient undergoes several assessment before a lung transplant to assess their overall health. Both the clinical and physical assessment are performed to correlate the symptoms to the evaluation findings.
Placement on the transplant waiting list: Transplant eligible patients are placed on the transplant waiting list where they will wait for an available donor organ. Donor lungs are allocated based on blood type, size match of the recipient's lung, and the urgency of the patient's condition.
Preoperative preparation: Patients must prepare extensively for the surgery by optimizing their overall health, managing symptoms and addressing any complications. A multidisciplinary transplant team will closely track the patient's status and provide care as needed.
Identification and matching of donor organ: A transplant team will wait for a suitable donor organ to arrive, and upon arrival, evaluate the potential compatibility of the donor organ to the recipient. There are many factors, including size, blood type, and immunological matching to assess when considering a donor lung.
Surgery: The injured lungs are removed, and the healthy lungs are placed in their position and connected to the blood vessels, airways, and surrounding structures. At some point, a heart-lung bypass machine may be temporarily used to do the work of the heart and lungs.
Postoperative care and recovery: Following surgery, some medications are needed to combat infection and minimize the chances of rejecting the transplant. Physical activity should slowly be increased throughout the recovery process.
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Cost of Lung Transplant in India
A lung transplant in India typically ranges from $21,312 to $48,416. The cost varies depending on the hospital, the city where the transplant is performed, and whether any complications arise during the operation. If both lungs have to be transplanted because of severe end-stage lung disease, the cost will also go up as it is a double transplant.
|
Treatment |
Min |
Max |
|
Single lung transplant |
21312 USD |
28416 USD |
|
Double lung transplant |
40789 USD |
51231 USD |
Top Hospitals in India
Indications of Lung Transplant:
In the early stage of lung failure, some additional symptoms are:
Shortness of breath, which can occur not only during exercise but even when at rest in more serious stages.
A persistent cough that doesn't resolve and may also produce mucus.
Wheezing, which can occur when breathing out or in, and will produce a whistling or rattling sound in the chest.
Fatigue or increased tiredness, which may be more noticeable during exertion or physical activity.
Discomfort or pain, which is often described as a tightness or pain in the chest may indicate some type of lung distress.
Frequent respiratory infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia (often due to decreased coping ability).
Increased mucus production or change in colour (yellow/green) of mucus.
Swelling or edema in the ankles, feet or even legs can occur if the lungs are not removing carbon dioxide from the body effectively and when fluid retention occurs.
Change in breath pattern such as breathing shallower than typical can also be related to lung distress.
Cyanosis, or bluish colour of the fingernails or lips, occurs with low oxygen levels in the blood.
Risk Factors:
Similar to all surgeries, there are risks and complications associated with a lung transplant. Patients need to be aware of the risks associated with the surgery to make an informed decision about their personal health.
Rejection: The patient’s body can recognize the new lung as foreign and may try to reject it as a result. This is a common risk for patients who receive lung transplants, and is prevented with a series of immunosuppressive medications.
Infection: Following a lung transplant, patients are more susceptible to infections because of the immunosuppressive medications. Standard disease processes are pneumonia and respiratory infections.
Bleeding: With any surgery, bleeding is a potential issue that may occur during or after the surgical procedure, potentially requiring further intervention or a blood transfusion.
Clots: Another potential risk of a lung transplant is blood clots either in the legs (deep vein thrombosis), or worse, in the lungs (pulmonary embolism).
Lung Complications: Several complications can arise regarding lung function; such as bronchial anastomotic stricture (narrowing of the airway) and primary graft dysfunction (new lung does not function well).
Kidney Damage: The long-term use of immunosuppressive medications to prevent organ rejection may lead to kidney injury that requires monitoring and intervention.
Cancer Risk: Patients who have a lung transplant have an elevated risk of certain cancers due to the immunosuppressive nature of the procedure.
Cardiovascular Issues: There may also be an increased risk of heart disease and high blood pressure following lung transplant surgery.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): GERD is also something that may develop in some patients, which can ultimately affect the health of the transplanted lung and be associated with complications such as chronic rejection, therefore it should be managed very closely.
Psychological Effects: Psychological effects of lung transplant can cause anxiety, depression or other mental illnesses. Coping with these effects requires support, counselling or care.