Before the procedure
You do not need to bring personal belongings. The hospital will provide clothing for the operation and the following days. Towels, washcloths, soap, a toothbrush, and toothpaste will also be provided.
Preparation
After an X-ray of your lungs in the emergency department, you will be transferred to the intensive care unit (E 650).
You will first undergo several examinations:
- An electrocardiogram (ECG) for the heart.
- Tests on blood, urine, sputum, stool, throat, and nose.
- A skin test to check for potential allergic reactions to any of the medications used in the days following the operation.
- The shaving of body areas with hair, such as the chest, groin, and armpits.
After anesthesia, there is a risk that your bowels may slow down, causing constipation or hardened stools. To prevent this, a small enema will be administered.
You will then take a disinfecting bath/shower, and your hair will be washed.
You must brush your teeth with antiseptic toothpaste, rinse with Perio-Aid mouthwash, and swallow a special syrup to disinfect your bowels.
Finally, a disinfectant paste will be applied to the inside of both cheeks.
You will then be transferred to the operating theatre.
Bilateral lung transplantation
If the transplant team deems the donor organ suitable, you will be placed under general anesthesia.
Duration: approximately 6 hours (8 hours including anesthesia)
- The chest is opened on both sides.
- The least functional lung is removed first, and the new donor lung is sewn in.
- First, the trachea is connected, followed by the pulmonary artery, and finally, the two pulmonary veins.
- The second lung is replaced in the same manner.
A heart-lung machine is required in about half of the cases.
Two drains are left in place on each side when the wounds are closed.
Currently, single-lung transplants are reserved for very specific cases.
Post-Operative Care
After surgery you will be admitted to the intensive care unit, where you will be monitored around the clock. You will remain there until your condition stabilises and you can breathe independently again. The duration can vary from a few days to a week on average, but it may extend to several weeks depending on individual circumstances.
Once you are off the ventilator and your condition is stable, you will be transferred to the intermediate care unit. You will stay there for a few days until you are ready to move to the transplantation unit.
In the transplant unit, you will be cared for in an isolation room to protect you from potential infections.
Once you are sufficiently recovered and your medication regimen is stabilised, you will be discharged from the hospital.
The average hospital stay after a lung transplant is one month, but this can vary depending on numerous factors.