Lung Transplant in Chennai

A lung transplant is a surgical procedure in which damaged lungs are removed from the body, and healthy ones from a deceased donor are placed. Generally, patients with end-stage lung disease are recommended a lung transplant surgery. When all other treatment options become unresponsive, a lung transplant should be considered for treating the lung condition. Let’s understand the various nuances of lung transplant in Chennai and why choosing renowned facilities like Gleneagles Hospital, the best lung transplant hospital in Chennai, is crucial for the success of your procedure.

The human body is one of the most complex biological entities on the earth. Each organ is essential for the body's functioning. Even though the body has a mechanism for self-renewal and healing, in the modern world, some health ailments are untreatable by oral medicine and require complicated surgeries. One such complex surgery is a lung transplant.

In a lung transplant, the deteriorated lungs are replaced with healthy lungs from a donor. The surgery can be performed in one or both the lungs. It largely depends on the patient’s condition. The procedure is suggested for end-stage lung disease, where all other treatment options have been unresponsive.

A lung transplant is a very complex and intricate procedure. Thus, choosing a prominent healthcare facility becomes crucial. Gleneagles Hospital provides top-tier lung transplant surgery, and it is the best lung transplant hospital in Chennai.

Lung Transplant is the surgical procedure of replacing damaged lungs with healthy ones. This treatment option is considered when the damage done to the lungs is beyond repair and no other option, such as medication or other treatment methods, fails. Common diseases leading to lung transplants include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension.

Donor lungs can come from living donors, who can donate a single lung lobe, or from deceased donors. The choice between a single or double lung transplant mostly depends on the underlying disease and the patient's overall health. Lifelong immunosuppressive medication to prevent organ rejection and routine monitoring for complications are part of post-operative care.

Patients undergo a thorough medical evaluation by a concerned doctor to determine their suitability for a lung transplant. This includes assessing their medical history, lung condition, and overall health. Factors such as active infections, recent cancer history, and serious diseases like kidney, liver, or heart conditions can disqualify a patient. 

Lung transplants are typically considered for individuals with severe lung diseases or last-stage lung damage. If a patient is not responding to other treatments, they need to undergo a Lung Transplant surgery. Conditions that require a lung transplant include:

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (or COPD): Patients who are suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, would need a lung transplant.
• Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: This is a medical condition where your lung tissue becomes scarred and stiff and can be cured with a transplant.
• Cystic Fibrosis: It is a specific type of genetic disorder that primarily affects the lungs. However, it can affect other organs as well.
• Pulmonary Hypertension: High blood pressure can cause damage to the arteries of the lungs.
• Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: This is a genetic condition that can cause chronic lung diseases.
• Interstitial Lung Disease: This is a group of diseases that cause progressive scarring of lung tissues and can be treated with a lung transplant procedure.

Candidates for lung transplants are usually those whose life expectancy is predicted to be only 1 to 2 years without the transplant or whose lung symptoms have severely limited their quality of life. They must also be physically healthy aside from their lung condition, free of other life-threatening health issues. Patients who can comply with medical recommendations and post-transplant care should go for a lung transplant.

A lung transplant is a complex surgical procedure. It involves several crucial steps to replace a diseased lung with a healthy donor lung. An overview of the multiple steps involved in the lung transplant procedure is given below.

• Preparation: Once the patient is listed for a lung transplant and a matching donor lung is available, the patient is notified. Pre-surgery preparations, such as an antimicrobial shower and other necessary medications, will be suggested before the procedure.
• Pre-Surgery: Once the patient arrives at the hospital, they undergo basic testing. Physical examinations are done, and consent forms are to be signed. An anesthesiologist would then prepare you for the surgery.

• Surgery

  - Incision: The surgeon starts by making an incision in the patient's chest.

  - Removal: The airways and blood vessels connected to the diseased lung are then cut off, and the diseased lung is removed.

  - Replacement: The healthy donor lung is placed into the chest cavity.

  - Reattachment: The airways and blood vessels are reattached to the new lungs.

  - Closure: The incisions are closed with stitches.

• Post-Surgery: Once the incisions are closed and the operated area is covered, the patient is moved to an ICU and placed on a ventilator for some time. Pain medications and organ-accepting drugs are administered. The patients will have to take immunosuppressives for an entire lifetime to prevent organ rejection.

The success rates of a lung transplant have significantly improved over the past few years. With the medical advancements and widespread use of the latest surgical techniques, lung transplant procedures have become more effective.

• One-Year Survival Rate: Approximately 85% of adults who have undergone a lung transplant survive for the first year after the transplant.
• Five-Year Survival Rate: Around 59% of recipients can survive for five years post-transplant.
• Median Survival: The median survival rate after a single-lung transplant is about 4.6 years, while that for a double-lung transplant is approximately 6.6 years. This can, however, vary from person to person.

It's crucial to note that individual outcomes can differ based on factors such as the patient's age, overall health, underlying lung condition, and the quality of post-transplant care. Some patients live much longer than the median survival rates. Some of the lung transplant patients even survive for 20 years or more.

Along with the benefits, lung transplants also come up with several challenges and risks that patients and medical teams must navigate on time.

Challenges

• Donor Lung Availability: There is a significant shortage of suitable donor lungs. Around 20% of donor lungs are viable for lung transplant. Finding the right match is challenging and time-consuming.
• Patient Selection: Not all patients are eligible for lung transplants. It is crucial for the patients to meet the criteria for a lung transplant.
• Surgical Complexity: Removing an organ from your body and placing a new one is not an easy process. The human body is a complex system with hundreds of veins and connecting blood vessels. Only highly skilled and experienced doctors can perform a lung transplant.
   

Risks

• Rejection: The body's immune system may not recognise the new lung and consider it as a foreign object. This is the primary reason why organ rejection occurs. Lifelong immunosuppressive medications are paramount to prevent organ rejection.
• Infection: Immunosuppressive drugs weaken the immune system, which increases the risk of infections.
• Surgical Complications: There are some surgical complications like bleeding, blood clot formation, and complications related to anaesthesia that are to be avoided
• Other Complications: Patients may experience post-surgical issues such as kidney damage, high blood, and diabetes due to prolonged exposure to immunosuppressive drugs.

Despite these challenges and risks, lung transplants significantly improve the life quality & survival rates of patients with severe lung disorders. Continuous advancements in medical science and effective post-operative care can help mitigate these risks and enhance the outcomes.

The recovery and post-surgery care play a vital role in deciding the success of your lung transplant surgery.

After the surgery, the patients generally have to stay at the hospital for about three weeks. During this time, the patient is then closely monitored to ensure the successful function of the transplanted lung. Regular check-ups can help identify any infection or other complications that might occur after the surgery. The operated area should be cleaned regularly to prevent any infection on the site of incisions.

Post-lung transplant care is a lifelong commitment. With proper lifestyle changes, medication, and routine checkups, the lifespan of the patient may be extended.

Gleneagles Hospital is the top-tier hospital for a Lung Transplant in Chennai. It provides the highest level of patient survival rates and uses world-class technology to meet international standards. A few reasons that make Gleneagles Hospital the preferred choice of lakhs of people are given below:

• Highly experienced Lung Transplant Surgeon in Chennai
• Top-notch Medical Infrastructure
• High Success Rates in Chennai
• Comprehensive Pre and Post-Operative Care
• Patient-Centric Treatment Approach

The doctors and staff of Gleneagles Hospital work collaboratively to bring the best outcomes for every patient. The high success rates and patient satisfaction level are a testament to the medical excellence of the Hospital. Making it the best lung transplant hospital in Chennai, undoubtedly.