Need a lung transplant

[DeeRae2008]

Hello MedHelp,

I am a 72 y/o female with emphysema and I need some information.  I have breathing problems associated with severe emphysema due to 45 years of heavy smoking.  I also had lung cancer surgery 7 years ago which was successful, but they took out 1/4 of my right lung.  I am on oxygen about 16 hours a day in order to breathe easily.

I have done extensive research and it seems that nobody in the United States wants to do a lung transplant on anyone after the age of 65.  I have considered going overseas (Singapore, India, Thailand) to do the transplant, but don't like the implications of knowing where the lung comes from.  

Can anybody out there help me in regard to finding a hospital in the U.S. that would do a transplant for a person over 65 years of age?  Can anybody recommend the best place overseas that would do a lung transplant that is safe?  

Any information would be appreciated.

Thank you!
DeeRae2008

[National Jewish Health]

To answer this question, please contact the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center Transplant Center.  I believe they are doing transplants on older people.  If not, ask them if they know who in the US might be.  Ask them about transplants in foreign countries.  Also contact the United Network for Organ Sharing at http://www.UNOS.org.  Here is the URL of a list of US Medicare-approved Centers http://www.cms.hhs.gov/ApprovedTransplantCenters/downloads/lung_heart_list.pdf.  This is the URL from the American Society of Transplantation titled Getting a New Lung:  Facts about Lung Transplants http://www.a-s-t.org/files/pdf/patient_education/english/AST-EdBroNEWLUNG-ENG.pdf.

[cathy152]

My husband is awaiting a double lung transplant and getting to the waiting list is not easy they usually do not transplant past 65.They have such a high criteria you have to meet that your lucky if you get listed. I am sorry about your situation no one deserves to be told your age will hold you back from getting a organ that you desperatly need. My husband is 42 and has end stage COPD on oxygen 24 hours a day in and out of the hospital all of the time. He has been working on their requirements to be listed for over a year, He has struggled so hard until finally we thought we were there. He went to the transplant center to finally be added to the list and they denied him being listed at this time because he is 10 pounds overweight. So we are still trying the sad part is that he is at about 20% lung capacity and we do not have alot of time, but I guess that is not their problem so I say to you if you have the money to be transplanted outside the USA and your survival rate without a lung in not good than go for it , also in some cases they will not transplant because of the cancer.
Best of luck to you