Grande A M, Rinaldi M, D'Armini A M, Pellegrini C, Viganò M
Division of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery and Organ Transplantation, IRCCS San Matteo Polyclinic, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
J Cardiovasc Surg (Torino). 2003 Feb;44(1):131-4.
Jehovah's Witnesses, patients who refuse blood transfusions, are generally not considered as candidates for lung transplantation owing to the frequent requirement for transfusions. A successful procedure in a Jehovah's Witness is presented and to our knowledge this is the 2(nd) reported case. The patient, a 38-year-old female, type I diabetes, affected by idiopatic pulmonary fibrosis underwent left lung transplantation. From the same pulmonary bloc a twinning procedure was obtained by means of right lung transplantation in a 58-year-old man affected by the same pathology. Surgical strategies employed in achieving a successful outcome, ethical and moral aspects are discussed.