[Lung transplantations--methods, indications and results 1986-1998]

Abstract

The National Hospital is the national centre for organ transplantation in Norway, and heart-lung-transplantation was introduced at the hospital in 1986. In this report, methods, patient selection and the current expectations of the various forms of lung transplantation are described. Heart-lung transplantation and bilateral lung transplantation have been used in patients in which a diseased heart or a native lung left behind would create serious problems in the postoperative period, thus we select patients to unilateral lung transplants whenever it is feasible. Due to a severe lack of lung transplants, and based on results of heart-lung and lung transplantation at other transplantation centres, we apply different upper age limits to the various transplantation procedures. 98 lung transplantations have been performed at Rikshospitalet, 96 of them after 1990; 15 heart-lung transplantations, 66 single lung transplantations in 61 patients, and 17 bilateral, sequential lung transplantations. 30 day mortality is 15%. One and five years recipient survival is 70% and 34% after heart-lung transplantation, 66% and 48% after single lung transplantation, and 81% and 63% after bilateral lung transplantation. Significant bronchial complications occurred in 7% of all anastomosis performed. The results are similar to data from The International Registry for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Lung transplantation is not developed to the same level as other forms of organ transplantation. Organ shortage is the most critical factor for further development of the lung transplantation programme.