Anaesthesia for patients after lung transplantation.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this article is to review the literature on post lung transplant patients presenting for surgery and anaesthesia and to provide insight into their perioperative management.

SOURCE

Articles and books were identified via a Medline search and through a review of the bibliographies of these sources.

PRINCIPLE FINDINGS

Single and double lung transplantation is becoming more common and the period of survival is increasing. As a result, more of these patients are presenting for surgery and anaesthesia. Also, it is increasingly likely that these patients may present, either for emergency or elective surgery, to anaesthetists with limited experience in this field. These patients have considerable medical, physiological and pharmacological problems which need to be understood.

CONCLUSION

Anaesthesia, local, regional, or general, can be safely delivered to these patients provided that the physiology and pathophysiology of the transplanted lung, the pharmacology of the immunosuppressive agents, and the underlying surgical condition are understood.