[Lung transplantation]

Abstract

Lung transplantation is an effective life-saving therapy for the treatment of a variety of end-stage lung diseases. However, the application of lung transplantation is hindered by multiple factors such as the shortage of organ donors, early graft failure, infection, and chronic graft dysfunction. A novel strategy for donor lung preservation--ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP)--that keeps the organ at physiological protective conditions, has shown great promise to increase lung utilization by reassessing, treating, and repairing injured donor lungs prior to transplantation. Infections are a major cause of early morbidity and mortality after lung transplantation. Because of the potential association of infections such as respiratory viral infections and gram-negative bacterial infections with bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, prompt attention to these pathogens is critical. Despite marked improvements in early survival, long-term outcome after lung transplantation is still threatened by bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome. The program of lung transplantation in Czech Republic was started in University Hospital Motol in Prague in 1997. Nowadays in Czech Republic is performed about 20 transplants every year with results comparable to other advanced centers. Until September 2011, 175 transplants were carried out in Czech Republic.