According to the attending physician, the candidate for a lung transplant is almost always a patient with a terminal lung disease whose life expectancy does not exceed 12-18 months. And even a walk of about a hundred meters in the plain is a supreme effort for them. However, not everyone who meets this description is accepted for a transplant. The candidate’s personality is crucial, and he must have a mature and mature character. And commit to the care and follow-up that follows.
Towards the time of transplantation, the patient should be rewarded, if possible, with the use of cortisone. Before transplantation, several tests must be performed – an echocardiogram, a cardiac mapping to rule out the possibility of heart dysfunction. In patients over 45, coronary artery bypass grafting should be performed to rule out coronary artery disease. The patient’s age does not constitute an absolute contraindication. Still, it is now customary not to transplant patients over 65 years of age, as the results observed to date in this age group are not as good as those observed among younger transplant recipients.
The Cystic Fibrosis Association accompanies patients on an ongoing basis throughout the process.