Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

HeartLung Transplantation

Heart-lung transplantation is the combined replacement of a recipient's heart and both lungs with those of a deceased donor, performed for end-stage cardiopulmonary disease in which both organs are irreversibly impaired and cannot be adequately treated by replacing either alone. Established indications include sever…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 7 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 18× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2576-9359 🗓 Reviewed July 2026

Overview

Heart-lung transplantation is the combined replacement of a recipient's heart and both lungs with those of a deceased donor, performed for end-stage cardiopulmonary disease in which both organs are irreversibly impaired and cannot be adequately treated by replacing either alone. Established indications include severe pulmonary hypertension with associated right heart failure, complex congenital heart disease with irreversible pulmonary vascular changes, and advanced lung disease such as cystic fibrosis accompanied by cardiac compromise. The operation requires removal of the failing heart and lungs and implantation of the donor block with anastomoses of the airway and great vessels, and it is among the most demanding transplant procedures, with outcomes influenced by donor and recipient selection, organ preservation and perioperative management. As with other allografts, long-term success depends on lifelong immunosuppression to prevent acute and chronic rejection while limiting infection, drug toxicity and malignancy, and on surveillance to detect rejection and complications early, including chronic graft dysfunction and persistent pain after thoracic transplantation. Because both heart and lung tissue are transplanted, recipients face the combined immunological and infectious risks of cardiac and pulmonary grafts. Availability is constrained by the scarcity of suitable combined donor organs, linking heart-lung transplantation to broader questions of organ supply and donation. The procedure integrates cardiothoracic surgery, transplant immunology and intensive long-term care to restore cardiopulmonary function.

Research published in this journal

7 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 7 articles above have been cited 18 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on HeartLung Transplantation, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in Organ Transplantation (ISSN 2576-9359).

Journal editorial board
Francesca Diomede · Italy Luca Peruzzotti-Jametti · United Kingdom Karolina Golab · United States

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.