General patient selection criteria

Not every patient is suitable for lung transplantation despite an appropriate underlying disease. Ultimately, the final decision on transplantation depends on a combination of the disease condition, comorbidities, age, condition and psychosocial background.The most important criteria are:

• Presence of a pulmonary disease that can no longer be treated by conservative methods
• Limited life expectancy
• Age limit ca. 65 years
• Age limit ca. 50 years for heart-lung transplantation
• Exclusion of significant dysfunction of other organs
• Long-term therapy with corticosteroids
• Adequate nutritional status
• Adequate potential for rehabilitation

  In addition, the patients should be psychologically stable and have good social support. However, the willingness of individual patients to follow their doctors' instructions and participate actively to the best of their ability in their own recovery is also of prime importance.