Bilateral Lung Transplant for Bronchiectasis in Asymmetric Thorax: A Case Report

Abstract

Patients with suppurative lung diseases such as bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis can be treated surgically, which leads to an asymmetric thorax, making lung transplant difficult in a volume-reduced hemithorax. We report a 52-year-old man with bronchiectasis and ventilation, dependent on a severe asymmetric thorax, who underwent bilateral lung transplant without cardiopulmonary bypass or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. This report suggests that bilateral lung transplant might be an efficient therapeutic option for such patients.

Lung transplant is generally accepted as an effective way to deal with end-stage pulmonary diseases. Particularly, in patients with bronchiectasis or cystic fibrosis, single lung transplant may lead to infectious complications more easily. Thus, bilateral lung transplant is a better choice for such patients. However, some patients with bronchiectasis may have a history of surgical resection of target areas, which leads to an asymmetric thorax and makes lung transplant more difficult. We described 1 case of bilateral lung transplant for bronchiectasis in asymmetric thorax.