Transplant Candidate Selection
- Patients with advanced lung disease
- Failed all possible medical therapies available to them
- High risk of death in one to two years
- Poor quality of life secondary to lung disease
Our Suggested Age Limits Are:
Single Lung Transplant < 70 years old
Double Lung Transplant < 65 years old
Diagnoses
A lung transplant may be needed for the following diseases:
Interstitial Lung Diseases
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)
Sarcoidosis
Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Pulmonary Manifestations of Collagen Vascular Disease
Eosinophilic Granuloma
Lymphangiomyomatosis (LAM)
Pulmonary Vascular Disorders
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH)
Obstructive Lung Diseases
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)/Emphysema
Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
Bronchiectasis
Cystic Fibrosis
Other rare conditions may be considered for lung transplantation
Reasons not to transplant
- Active Cancer
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C with cirrhosis proven by liver biopsy
- Current Substance Abuse: tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Patient must have proof of abstinence for 6 months before transplant evaluation.
- Absence of consistent or reliable social support
- Non compliance with prescribed medications/medical regimen
- HIV infection
- Dysfunction of other major organ systems
- Unresolved psychosocial issues or uncontrolled psychiatric illness
- Body Mass Index (BMI) >30 or <17. BMI is calculated using height and weight.
A referral may be sent via the computer simply by clicking on the link below. Please fill out the referral page and a transplant coordinator will contact you. If you would prefer to talk to someone directly and have questions you can call toll free at 1-888-336-9633 or 210-567-5777.
When referring a patient for transplantation, please provide the following information:
- Referring physician’s name and contact information
- Six months history, lab results, relevant respiratory history, chest x-rays, radiology analysis and relevant office notes
- Patient’s primary care physician
- Patient’s insurance documentation, standing authorizations and relevant records
All supporting documentation may be faxed to 210-358-4037.
Patients should be referred for lung transplantation when they suffer chronic lung disease for which no other medical or surgical therapy is available and survival is imminently endangered.
Patients are generally oxygen-dependent, suffer from pulmonary fibrosis (single lung transplants), cystic fibrosis or bronchiectasis (double lung transplants), emphysema or pulmonary hypertension. There should be adequate right and left ventricular function, minimal corticosteroids (U 0.2 mg KG) within preceding four weeks, and no significant co-existing illness. Patients considered for lung transplant should be less than 65 years old.
Other conditions indicating high risk for poor outcomes may affect the candidate’s acceptability for transplantation.
