How is rejection prevented?
Rejection is prevented by using a combination of medications designed to interfere with the immune system’s recognition of the lung and prevent any attack by cells on the lung. Typically, patients are on two or three immunosuppressive (antirejection) medications in the first months after the transplant. Note that all organ transplant patients need to take antirejectin medications for the rest of their lives. As time goes by, these medications are gradually reduced. The effects of these medications will be discussed with you by the Lung Transplant Team. How do you decide whether to do a single or double transplant?-Most lung transplants are single-lung transplants. Experience to date has shown that most patients get excellent functional results from a single-lung transplant. Double-lung transplants are reserved for patients with infectious lung disease, where both lungs are affected. In this case, both lungs are transplanted so as not to have an infected area present when immunosuppress
