People who can donate lungs are people that have good lung function, are overall healthy, people who are age 75 or less, have a good medical history and are fit.
Lung donors are often between the ages of 18 years to 65 years old and having good oxygenation is also crucial with a PaO2/FiO2 ratio (partial pressure of oxygen/fraction of inspired oxygen of at least 300.
Also having a clear chest X ray, negative sputum grain stain and no history of smoking or chest trauma or any prior cardiopulmonary surgery are also ideal.
And the lung donors and recipient lungs should also be appropriately sized for a successful transplant and not having any infections like pneumonia is also important in whether or not you can be a lung donor.
Lung donors over 55 years old are increasingly being considered as well as lung donors with PaO2/FiO2 ratios below 300 may be considered with recruitment maneuvers.
Lung donors with certain conditions like infiltration on chest X-ray, purulent secretions at bronchoscopy, or prior cardiothoracic procedures may be utilized.
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.