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Review
. 2018 Nov;33(4):206-215.
doi: 10.4266/acc.2018.00360. Epub 2018 Nov 30.

Critical Care after Lung Transplantation

Song Yee Kim  1 , Su Jin Jeong  2 , Jin Gu Lee  3 , Moo Suk Park  1 , Hyo Chae Paik  3 , Sungwon Na  4 , Jeongmin Kim  4
Affiliations
Review

Critical Care after Lung Transplantation

Song Yee Kim et al. Acute Crit Care. 2018 Nov.

Abstract

Since the first successful lung transplantation in 1983, there have been many advances in the field. Nevertheless, the latest data from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation revealed that the risk of death from transplantation is 9%. Various aspects of postoperative management, including mechanical ventilation, could affect intensive care unit stay, hospital stay, and immediate postoperative morbidity and mortality. Complications such as reperfusion injury, graft rejection, infection, and dehiscence of anastomosis increase fatal adverse side effects immediately after surgery. In this article, we review the possible immediate complications after lung transplantation and summarize current knowledge on prevention and treatment.

Keywords: critical care; immunosuppression; lung transplantation; postoperative care; postoperative complications; preventive care; transplant rejection; transplantation immunology.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Gauzes were packed to control postoperative bleeding.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Bronchopleural fistula (BPF). (A) Fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) finding of BPF (arrows). (B) Suddenly developed pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema on chest X-ray. (C) FOB finding showing repaired BPF with omental flap. (D) Chest X-ray after BPF repair with omental flap.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Pulmonary artery stenosis. (A) Pulmonary angiography shows nearly total obstruction (kinking) of left main pulmonary artery. (B) A stent was inserted on left main pulmonary artery and left pulmonary flow was restored.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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