Lung Transplantation

As the first successful human lung transplant was performed in 1963 at the University of Mississippi by James Hardy and colleagues, lung transplantation has become a treatment option for meticulously selected patients with end-stage lung disease of varying etiologies. The field has grown immensely with advancements in candidate selection, donor organ availability, and surgical technique as well as immunosuppressive medication. More than 2000 lung transplants are performed each year with median survival at 5.8 years for adults and 5.4 years for the pediatric population.