Lung retransplantation in an adult 13 years after single lobar transplant in childhood

Abstract

Single living-donor lobar lung transplantation provides acceptable results for critically ill children; however, an additional lung transplantation may be required in the future as the recipient grows. We describe a case of successful lung retransplantation in a grown-up patient after single lobar lung transplantation in childhood. A 23-year-old man underwent bilateral cadaveric lung retransplantation for chronic lung allograft dysfunction 13 years after right single living-donor lobar transplantation for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension performed at the age of 10 years. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient had received growth hormone therapy at a local hospital for 3 years until the development of chronic lung allograft dysfunction after the initial transplantation. Pediatric recipients undergoing single living-donor lobar lung transplantation should be cautiously followed for potential retransplantation.