A heart-lung transplant is a major surgical procedure. It is used to treat people who have severe or life-threatening conditions, such as severe congenital heart disease, that affect both their heart and their lungs.
During a heart-lung transplant, a donated heart and pair of lungs are taken from a recently deceased donor and are used to replace the patient’s diseased heart and lungs.
A heart-lung transplant is a complex and demanding procedure that carries a high risk of complications, some of which can be fatal. Therefore, a heart-lung transplant is usually only performed when all other treatment options have been exhausted and there is compelling evidence to suggest that the benefits will outweigh any risks.
The first heart-lung transplant in the UK was in 1983.
How common are heart-lung transplants?
In the UK, heart-lung transplants are rarely performed. An average of nine transplants are carried out each year. This is because there are very few suitable donors. The two main reasons for this are discussed below.
First, most donated hearts are taken from people who are brain dead. Although there is no activity in their brain and they are legally dead, a ventilator can be used to keep their heart beating and oxygen circulating through their blood. However, the prolonged use of a ventilator can damage the lungs and make them unsuitable for transplantation.
The second problem is that lung tissue rapidly deteriorates once it has been removed from the body. Therefore, a successful donation is usually only possible if the transplant is carried out within 4-6 hours of the lungs being removed from the donor. This means that a successful donation can only go ahead if the donor and recipient of the transplant are in relatively close geographical proximity.
Due to the limited availability of organs, there remains an important clinical need for members of the public to join the NHS Organ Donor Register. See the ‘useful links’ section for more information about how to join.
