Living-Donor Lung Transplantation for Post-COVID-19 Respiratory Failure

This report describes a case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated respiratory failure requiring urgent living-donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLTx). Severe hypoxia requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) developed in a 57-year-old woman with positive viral status. Her respiratory function deteriorated, with almost totally collapsed lungs. All of her other organs functioned well. After 104 days of ECMO support, she underwent urgent LDLLTx using cardiopulmonary bypass. The grafts worked well, and she was weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass after reperfusion. LDLLTx is an option for selected patients with post-COVID-19 endstage respiratory failure. (C) 2022 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Automated summary

This report describes a case of COVID-19-associated respiratory failure that was successfully treated with urgent living-donor lobar lung transplantation. The patient's respiratory function improved after ECMO support and LDLLTx surgery. LDLLTx is a viable option for patients with endstage respiratory failure following COVID-19.