Lung transplantation for emphysema

Great strides have been made in lung transplantation in the past two decades. Changes in technique, immunosuppression regimens, and treatment of infectious complications have led to improvements in survival and functional results. Current areas of discussion concern the use of single lung transplantation versus bilateral sequential lung transplantation and the criteria for allocating donor lungs. This article reviews the current state of lung transplantation for emphysema and provides insight from more than one decade of experience with Washington University's lung transplant program.