[Lung Transplantation. Chances and Possibilities].

Since 1963, the lung transplantation has become a successful and established therapy for patients with lung failure. Even though mortality is higher than with other solid organ transplantations, remarkable progress has been made due to improved techniques, improved conservation, immunosuppression and antibiotics as well as diagnostic tools and therapy for rejection. The survival for lung transplantation is good. The survival rate after 3 months is 88%, after 1 year 79% and after 3, 5, and 10 years 64%, 53%, and 31%, respectively. But chronic rejection, presenting as chronic lung allograft dysfunction, is still a major problem after lung transplantation. An overview of indications and contraindications, surgical techniques and results is given in this article.