Lung transplant process
How to qualify
In order to qualify for a lung transplant you must first have an end-stage lung disease. Along with that, you must have the physical ability to survive for at least 90 days following the transplant, medical likelihood that you will survive for 5 years or more after the transplant, and there must be a very high risk of death if you do not have a lung transplant within the next 2 years.
TESTS: After qualifying for the main qualifications of a lung transplant, you must also undergo many tests before being put on the waitlist for a transplant. These tests may include: Blood tests, Cardiac catheterization, Chest X-ray, CT scan, Echocardiogram, Pulmonary Function Test, Scans to measure breathing and Circulation, and a urine test, along with other normal general health tests. Once you are on the waitlist for the transplant it could take several months up to several years for you to even get one. The time of your wait depends on many factors such as blood type, height, weight, distance from the hospital, and organ size.
THE TRANSPLANT: Once you receive the call that a set of lungs is available for you, you must immediately go to the hospital to have the procedure which could take 2-10 hours, depending on the type of transplant.
recovery
It typically takes up to 3-6 months to completely recover from a lung transplant. It is encouraged that you go through some sort of recovery process or physical therapy to get your strength and physical ability back. You should not turn to work right away but after about 3 months post-surgery you should be able to return to work depending on what job you do. You also might need to take some medicines to make sure your body doesn't reject the organ and so that you can heal in the best way possible without any further complications!