• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.1015-1018
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• 2004

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease in women in childbearing age leading to progressive respiratory failure. LAM is characterized by an abnormal harmartomatous proliferation of smooth muscle cells surrounding the blood vessels, lymphatics and airways in the lung. This proliferation leads to airway obstruction, cystic alveolar change and lymphatic obstruction. Patients present with dyspnea, pneumothorax, cough, chest pain, hemoptysis, and chylous effusion. Although lung transplantation is the only therapeutic modality in end-stage LAM with respiratory failure, there has not been any report of successful treatment in Korea. We report one case of successful left single lung transplantation in a 40 year old woman suffering from end-stage LAM.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.4 s.261
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• pp.323-327
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• 2006

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare disease in women of childbearing ages that eventually leads to respiratory failure. Lung transplantation is the only conclusive therapeutic modality in end-stage LAM. While single-lung transplantation is the preferred operation, the graft failure or recurrence of LAM was reported. We performed a single lung transplantation on a 36-year-old woman suffering from respiratory failure due to lymphangioleiomyomatosis. After a 1-year follow up, the patient was readmitted because of graft failure with collapsed transplanted lung. The lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS), tracheostomy and ventilator care were performed. However, neither the medical nor surgical treatment had any effect. Subsequently, we performed a contralateral single lung re-transplantation and had a good postoperative results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.11 s.268
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• pp.822-827
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• 2006

Background: Lung transplantation is a definitive therapy for a variety of end stage lung diseases. Since 1996, we have performed thirteen cases of lung transplantation including two retransplantations, and we analyzed the outcomes, complications, and survivals of these patients. Material and Method: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of thirteen cases from July, 1996 to July, 2005. Result: During the period, 11 patients had undergone 43 lung and heart-lung transplantations, and two patients had retransplantation due to allograft failure. Mean age of recipients were $45.2{\pm}10.7$ years(range, $25{\sim}59$). Early complications were bleeding, reperfusion injury, and infection and late complications were mainly infection and post-transplantation lymphoproliferative disease. Excluding the operative mortality, the mean survival period was 16.5 months($2{\sim}60$ months). Two retransplantations had been performed 2 weeks and 13 months after single lung transplantations. Conclusion: In order to achieve long term survival, early detection of complications and proper treatment in addition to surgical skills are necessary, and these efforts can promote better lung transplantation programs in the near future.