What To Expect

After lung transplant surgery, you will be put on a ventilator, which is a machine that temporarily takes over the breathing process. If there are no complications, you will use the ventilator for 1 to 2 days.

You will likely need to stay in the hospital for 2 to 3 weeks after the transplant.

You’ll need to take antibiotics and medicines to suppress your immune system to raise the chances that your body will accept the new lungs.

How Well It Works

Several tests can help your doctor and you see how well a lung transplant or a living-donor lobar lung transplant might work. These tests include lung function tests, arterial blood gas tests, and exercise capacity.

• About 6 out of 10 people who receive a lung transplant survive at least 5 years after the procedure.^{footnote 2}
• People with cystic fibrosis have the same survival rate after a lung transplant as people who have lung transplants for other health problems.

What To Think About

• Lung transplant surgery does not prevent or improve any problems that cystic fibrosis may be causing in other parts of your body.
• Having a lung transplant is still a limited option in the United States and is usually available only in certain major medical centers. You may have to travel or move to another city to have the operation.
• Not everyone is a good candidate for an organ transplant. Your doctor or a transplant center will do tests to see if you are. To learn more, see the topic Organ Transplant.
• If your tests show you are a good candidate, you are put on a waiting list. You may have to wait days, months, or years for a transplant. The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) regularly updates its guidelines for transplant selection. More information can be found at www.unos.org.