The history of lung transplantation in Hong Kong

Abstract

Clinical lung transplant was first performed in Hong Kong in 1995. In the early years, the volume of activity was very low. There has been a clear trend of increasing volume in the past few years. The recipient pathology is very different from the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) database, with complete absence of cystic fibrosis and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, and a predominance of diseases of the pulmonary circulation. Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) has a much higher representation on the waiting list than the ISHLT. The survival of patients who received a lung transplant in Hong Kong compares favorably with international data.