Lung Transplantation in Children – Indications and Aftercare

In the last decade lung transplantation has become a well-established treatment option for children with end-stage lung disease after all medical therapy has failed. The most common indications for lung transplantation in childhood are cystic fibrosis and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. However, there are many other underlying diseases which can lead to final lung damage. Children are no small adults and there are a lot of differences according to the age at the time of transplantation like indication, contraindication, allocation and operation techiques. Long-term survival of lung transplant children remains unsatisfactory with five-year survival marginally greater than 50% (although this is improving). Outcomes for lung transplantation are worse than for any other solid-organ transplant with the exception of small bowel transplantation.