People who gets priority for a lung transplant are people younger than 18 years of age, people who are in more urgent need of a lung transplant people with a higher lung allocation score.
The priority of lung transplants in the USA are determined by a system called the Lung Allocation Score which is used to assess both a persons risk of dying while on the waiting list for a lung transplant and also the predicted survival benefit from transplantation.
People with a higher Lung Allocation Score indicate a greater need for a lung transplant and a higher priority for getting a donor lung.
Other factors like time on the waiting list, compatibility and medical urgency also play a role in determining who gets priority for a lung transplant.
The downside of a lung transplant is possible long term medication side effects, risks of surgical complications, organ rejection, increased susceptibility to infections, kidney damage and possible development of certain cancers.
Although rare it's possible that the transplanted lung does not work and there is a risk of dying from a lung transplant but this risk is higher in the first few months after the lung transplant operation.
The average wait for a lung transplant is 2 years for a single lung transplant and 3 years for a 2 lung transplant.
The age cut off for a lung transplant is 65 years of age although it's not a strict age limit.
While it's not a strict limit, the traditional age limit for lung transplants is around 65 years old, although many organ transplant centers do now evaluate older people on a case by case basis.
To decide on whether or not you should get a lung transplant older than 65 they will take in factors like your overall health, other medical conditions and the specific lung disease when determining if the lung transplant is feasible or not.
Things that disqualifies you from getting a lung transplant are certain cancers, severe organ dysfunction, substance abuse, inability to comply with post transplant care, active infections and even being morbidly obese, severe malnutrition and a lack of adequate social support can also be disqualifying factors for a lung transplant.
The age limit for lung transplant is up to age 65 although there's no real strict age limit for a lung transplant.
Although single lung transplants are considered for patients up to age 65 and double lung or heart-lung transplants are considered up to age 60.
Although these are simply guidelines and people over the ages of 60 to 65 years old may be considered for lung transplants based on the persons overall health and specific circumstances.
You can donate a lung while you're alive although when you're still living most people donate a portion of their lung and most specifically the lower lobe of the lung for transplantation.
2 or more living donors can contribute portions of their lungs to form a complete lung for a recipient of a lung transplant.
A lung transplant does not always involve donating the whole lung but instead giving just the lower lobe of their lungs to be transplanted.
You can survive with just one lung as long as your other lung is still functioning properly.
Your lungs are responsible for exchanging carbon dioxide and oxygen through your body and the environment.
And when one lung is removed, the remaining lung will compensate by increasing it's size and efficiency.
And over time your body adapts to the loss of one lung and can also maintain adequate levels.
You can live a full life with one lung as many people do.
Although your overall health after you have one lung removed will depend on why the lung was removed.
If your lung was removed due to cancer or another illness then there is also a risk of the condition returning.
If you had one lung removed after a trauma, then as long as you remain health, your other lung should have no issues and place no limitation on your life.
The remaining lung in the body will expand and fill the space and take on the workload of both lungs and many people with one lung do lead full and even active lives.
Some people though with one lung may experience shortness of breath and fatigue or other respiratory issues.
A PFT test or pulmonary function test can help to determine if you can live with one lung by measuring your lung capacity.
And after the lung surgery, the recovery can take several weeks to months and can also cause some soreness and fatigue.