10 Things to Know About Lung Transplant
For more information, please email lungtransplant@hsc.utah.edu.
10 Things to Know About Lung Transplant
For more information, please email lungtransplant@hsc.utah.edu.
What You Should Know About Lung Transplant
1. A Lung Transplant Can Be Life-Changing
Severe lung disease can make you tired all the time and make it hard to breathe. Lung transplant surgery can help you walk, talk, and enjoy daily activities with less effort.
Many people can return to work, enjoy time with family, or work on hobbies they had to give up before to their transplant. Your quality of life improves from better energy, mood, and independence.
Life after a transplant will also be challenging. You will need to take many medications and have regular checkups. This will be especially important during the first year.
You will need support to help you recover from the surgery. Your care team will be with you throughout this journey.
2. Lung Transplant Is an Option for Many Serious Lung Conditions
Treatments for serious lung conditions can include prescribed medicines, oxygen therapy, or surgery. End-stage lung disease can develop if these treatments fail or no longer work. A lung transplant is the last treatment option for different causes of end-stage lung disease:
U of U Health's transplant team will look at your health to decide whether you are a good candidate for a lung transplant. If you are too weak or sick for surgery, we will work with you on a rehabilitation program to help you gain the strength for possible transplant surgery.
You may also be considered too healthy for a lung transplant. This means that your current symptoms and outlook may still be encouraging. We want to avoid the risks of major surgery if it’s not required. You will need to continue medical treatment and regular checkups with your care team.
3. You’ll Undergo a Thorough Evaluation Before Qualifying for a Lung Transplant
Our evaluation is a detailed, step-by-step process. It helps to ensure that your body and mind are ready for lung transplant surgery. This begins with a medical history review. We talk about your current medications and past test results. We also do a full physical examination.
Over a period of 4–6 weeks, you’ll meet with the entire transplant team for different assessments:
- Full health screening looks at how your organs are working, especially your heart and lungs. This includes blood tests and screening for infections and cancers.
- Mental and social health evaluations by transplant social workers will determine if you’re mentally ready for a lung transplant. They also check your support system. We want to be sure that you will have help to manage life after a transplant.
- Insurance and financial reviews help confirm that you have necessary coverage. Costs include the surgery, hospital stay, and the required medications.
After these evaluations, our transplant team makes one of three decisions:
- You are a good candidate for a transplant now and belong on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list at U of U Health.
- You need more time to improve your health before being re-evaluated later.
- You should not have a transplant.
Our team commits to giving you the best outcome possible based on your evaluation. We’ll work with you and your family to ensure that you understand our recommendations. We’ll explain what steps are next to move forward.
4. You Should Be as Healthy as Possible Before a Lung Transplant
Lung transplant surgery is a long and complex operation. You have a lower risk of complications if you follow a healthy lifestyle. Good fitness and nutrition are essential to your ability to heal. There are some important health markers to improve or control before surgery:
Some lifestyle choices will disqualify you for a lung transplant:
- Current smoking, vaping, or using any form of nicotine
- Ongoing use or recent abuse of alcohol or drugs
- Repeated failure to follow medical advice on treatments and to show up for follow-up appointments
Why Choose U of U Health?
The U of U Health lung transplant program provides comprehensive care to patients with advanced lung disease.
5. You Need a Strong Support System Before, During, and After Your Lung Transplant
Caregivers, friends, or family members are essential to the entire lung transplant process by helping to:
- Manage appointments, medications, and rehabilitation
- Work with your care team to understand complex information
- Provide physical and emotional support
Your support team should expect to help with your care for 3–4 months after the transplant. This includes around-the-clock availability for the first 4–6 weeks after surgery.
6. Waiting for a Lung Transplant Requires Patience and Flexibility
It’s rare to have a lung transplant as soon as you get approval. The United Network for Organ Sharing national network links donor organs with people needing a transplant. We will add your name to the network’s waiting list. It makes a list of potential recipients when lungs become available. The list is based on different factors that include blood type and both the size and age of the transplant recipient.
Waiting for a lung transplant requires patience. The timing and availability of donor lungs are outside of anyone’s control. Flexibility is also important.
Changes in your health may require new tests or hospital stays. The best approach is to stay healthy by exercising and maintaining a proper diet.
7. Matching Donor Organs with Recipients Is a Fair and Equitable Process
Medical assessments determine someone’s need for a transplant. Scoring systems rank patients according to two predictions based on their health status:
- Urgency—How likely they are to survive on the waiting list
- Outcome—How likely they are to survive after the transplant
The Composite Allocation Score (CAS) is a scoring system used to estimate these predictions. It gives consideration to both the transplant urgency and expected survival. It also accounts for other factors, including blood type, height, and donor distance to the recipient.
Using the CAS helps make the matching process as fair and equitable as possible. U of U Health transplant social workers can help those on the waiting list find support groups.
We also offer a mentorship program that matches you with a former transplant recipient. This allows you to ask questions about the transplant process and post-transplant expectations.
"The surgeons took great care of me, and I am incredibly thankful. I wouldn't be where I am today without them."
8. Life After a Lung Transplant Requires Continuous Care
You will need lifelong, continuous care to protect your new lungs and the rest of your body. You must take immunosuppression drugs to keep your immune system from attacking and harming your lungs. These drugs are critical to your care.
You will need to make certain activities a daily priority:
- Medical therapy—You will need to take medication to prevent infections and keep your new lungs healthy. You will also need regular blood tests and clinic visits to adjust medication doses and manage side effects.
- Preventive care—You will need to be consistent with pulmonary rehabilitation. You also need to keep up with vaccinations and cancer screenings. Your care team will help you manage any other health conditions that may occur following transplant.
- Staying connected—You will need to manage your mental health. This includes paying attention to your emotions, stress levels, and how you cope with daily life. Staying close to your support group is a critical part of this process.
9. Your Emotional Health Is an Important Part of the Transplant Journey
Facing a lung transplant can be challenging. It’s normal to feel anxious or depressed. Good mental health helps you to follow treatment and keep going when you have setbacks.
Our transplant team has cared for patients with advanced lung disease for more than 30 years. We’re here to guide you through this process and help you through hard moments.
10. Every Transplant Journey Is Unique
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to lung transplant surgery. The path to surgery and through recovery is always different. Each person gets to the starting line with a different set of variables:
- Coping style
- Family support
- Lung disease severity and timing
- Medical history
- Overall health
U of U Health provides care plans to meet you wherever you are in your journey. From your first day with us, our goal is to provide personalized care. We’re dedicated to helping you live longer and with a better quality of life.
How to Make an Appointment
Call 801-585-3697 to make an appointment
What to Expect When You Call
- Our team will request medical records from your pulmonologist or primary care physician.
- After we receive your records, we'll check your insurance and then call you to set up an appointment.
- You will be matched with a provider on our transplant team.
Referrals
Physician referrals can be made over the phone (801-585-3697) or by completing an online referral form. Referring physicians will also need to fax patient information to 801-213-3969.
