Cardiothoracic
People tend to think of the heart and lungs as having separate functions, whereas they actually work in close partnership with each other. Healthcare professionals use the term ‘cardiothoracic’ to describe this partnership.
The heart and lungs work together in the following way:
- the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood from the lungs to the cells of the body
- the body’s cells use the oxygen for energy
- the oxygen-poor blood is pumped back into the lungs
- the lungs fill the blood with more oxygen and the process starts again
Due to the important partnership that exists between the heart and the lungs, underlying problems with the heart can damage the lungs and vice versa. Therefore, in order to treat certain health conditions effectively, it is necessary to replace both organs.
Common reasons for heart-lung transplants
There are several different reasons why a heart-lung transplant may be required. Some of the reasons are outlined below.
Congenital heart disease
Congenital heart disease is a condition where children are born with birth defects that affect their heart.
In some cases of congenital heart disease, damage to the heart means that the blood is pumped at a higher pressure than normal into the lungs. The excess pressure weakens the heart and damages the lungs.
In the most serious cases, the damage to the heart and lungs is untreatable and a heart-lung transplant is required.
Primary pulmonary hypertension
Primary pulmonary hypertension is a rare condition where, for reasons that are unknown, the blood pressure within the lungs is much higher than usual. As with congenital heart disease, the excess pressure can weaken the heart and damage the lungs.
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a common, inherited condition that affects more than 8,000 children and young adults in the UK. In cases of cystic fibrosis, a thick sticky mucus develops inside the lungs, which can damage them.
Cystic fibrosis can be successfully treated using a lung transplant, but there may be some circumstances where if a donated set of heart and lungs is available, a heart-lung transplant will be performed.
For example, if the blood supply that connects the heart to the lungs becomes damaged, it is more likely that transplanting both the heart and the lungs will be successful.
There is also the additional benefit that the original heart, which is usually undamaged except for the nearby blood vessels, can be used as a transplant organ for somebody else. This is known as a ‘domino transplant’.
