Lung transplantation for emphysema

Great strides have been made in lung transplantation in the past two decades. In 1985 only 13 lung transplants were reported worldwide by the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT). This number rose to more than 1500 by 2001. More than 8000 lung transplants were performed worldwide between 1995 and 2001, and emphysema was the indication for transplantation in the majority of these procedures . Between 1990 and 2001 the percentage of patients transplanted for emphysema, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and α-1-antitrypsin deficiency, rose from 21% to 42%, whereas transplantation performed for other pulmonary diseases fell or remained stable .

Source: Chest Surgery Clinics of North America - November 1, 2003 Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Seth D Force, Clifford Choong, Bryan F Meyers Source Type: research