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Procedures & Costs of Lung Transplants

A lung transplant replaces one or both lungs with lungs acquired through organ donation. Doctors perform such a procedure as a last resort, states the Barnes-Jewish Hospital website.

  1. Evaluation

    • Patients identified as potential surgical candidates commonly have pulmonary function tests, blood and urine tests, a bone-density scan, pulmonary ventilation/perfusion scan, RVG scan, chest CT scan and a heart catheterization during their initial evaluation.

    Procedure

    • According to the Cleveland Clinic, the average lung transplant procedure usually takes six hours. Transplant Living reports that the estimated cost of the lung transplant procedure in 2008 was $338,100 for a single lung transplant and $500,500 for a double transplant.

    Recovery

    • It's common for transplant patients to be prescribed several anti-rejection medications.

      Barnes-Jewish Hospital's website estimates the average hospital stay after a lung transplant ranges from 10 to 14 days. Shortly after the transplant, patients start to take daily anti-rejection medications, which they will continue to take for the rest of their lives.

    Rehabilitation

    • Pulmonary rehabilitation usually involves riding an exercise bicycle or walking on a treadmill. Most transplant teams prescribe at least three months of daily rehabilitation following the transplant.

    Follow-Up

    • Follow-up care includes weekly blood and pulmonary function tests. A bronchoscopy--a procedure in which the doctor examines your airway--typically occurs monthly for three months, then quarterly for the first year, and annually after that.

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