A lung transplant for a Covid patient

[FinallyRelief]

I couldn't see a thread that covered this?

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/11/coronavirus-lung-transplant-chicago

I can't imagine this would happen for anyone on the NHS in this country? This was a healthy person and her other organs in good health - covid destroyed her lungs and she got a lung transplant - I wonder if this would even be considered here?

Suppose it would be weighed up in the same way they prioritise other patients in need.
If the lungs are so scarred from Covid infection and they have no quality of life, why wouldn’t they go on the list?

But these are patients that are ventilated - not sure how it works - these don't seem to people who can breath without support. Therefore need lungs immediately - I saw bit about the lady in the Netherlands. Those lungs were brought from another country for her.

What makes you think it couldn't happen on the NHS? Genuinely interested.

My understanding is that it is rare for patients to meet the criteria because usually once their lungs are this badly damaged there is other forms of organ failure that makes it unlikely they would survive the operation. All the cases where this surgery has been done has been in relatively young covid patients.

I am not sure what your question is?

I am aware of a lady who has lost one lung completely and the other is badly scarred through covid. She has been left severely disabled. Why wouldn't she get a transplant if it was appropriate for her?

Yes, it could be done on the NHS, if there were a viable matching pair available.

I have a friend, who had a heart and lung transplant which failed within 24 hrs, she was put on bypass and was very fortunate when another heart and lungs became available within 48 hrs. She is still doing well.

A journalist in his 30s recieved a lung transplant because of Covid. He sadly died of Covid complications a month later but it does happen if viable.

Ok I just hadn't heard this happening in this country for covid patients

The consultant told us that heart and lung transplants dont really happen anymore in the uk.

I just don't see how they would say yes everything else is healthy let's do a transplant for the lungs for a patient who is heavily ventilated? I'm not a medic so maybe a medic can explain

Why shouldn't a Covid patient have a lung transplant on the NHS if Covid has damaged their lungs but they are otherwise deemed healthy enough. Why does it matter whether it is Covid or any other lung disease?

It won't happen much though, I wouldn't think. Transplants are reliant on a set of healthy lungs from a person of an acceptable tissue type becoming available. The number of patients with lungs compromised by Covid will probably exceed the number of healthy organs that become available for transplant, I would have thought.

The lady from Austria who is mentioned in the article she got her lungs from the Netherlands.

I read that in another article I will try to post.

@Trackandtrace

The consultant told us that heart and lung transplants dont really happen anymore in the uk.

@Trackandtrace

What do you mean? There are multiple adult and paediatric specialist centres for transplant. It’s less common to have a heart and lung transplant but transplants for ‘only’ hearts or lungs go ahead all the time. Sorry if I misunderstood.

It’s more unusual @FinallyRelief to have a lung transplant if you’re fully reliant on life support but not unheard of. You need to be unwell enough to benefit from a lung transplant but also be fit enough to survive the surgery and initial recovery.

My child needed surgery for a heart condition. They said if not donee it would likely lead to heart and ling failure. A heart transplant doesnt have great outcomes but a heart and lung transplant is even few positive outcomes. So due to this they rarely transplant now because by the time other treatment options arent effective enough to make the risks of transplant over treatment viable. Once the only option is transplant then they do them but good outcomes are limited.