Lung Transplantation Comes of Age

Students of human-organ transplantation have watched with attention the progress in lung transplantation during the past decade. A clinical reality since 1981, lung transplantation is now generally accepted as a useful procedure. Progress in its development has not always been smooth. Early attempts at single-lung transplantation were marked by infection, rejection, and in particular bronchial dehiscence. Even the technically more successful heart—lung transplantations were plagued by a new entity called obliterative bronchiolitis, which became an important cause of late death after transplantation. In the past few years, however, advances in surgical technique, organ preservation, and postoperative management have permitted improvements . . .