From 6-wk Lungs to 6 y: Increasing the Donor Pool for Pediatric Lung Transplantation

Background. Lung transplantation in the pediatric population is a challenge. With the donor pool being so small and lungs from young donors rare and precious, every organ available needs to be utilized to its best potential. Case. Here, we describe the case of a 6-wk-old donor of double lungs to a 5-mo-old baby girl diagnosed with alveolar capillary dysplasia with misalignment of the pulmonary veins. The recipient is doing very well, 6 y after the transplant, now following normal growth. Discussion. The challenges facing pediatric cardiothoracic transplantation in terms of organ supply and demand are enormous. Conclusions. In this article, we discuss some of the issues around the shortage of organs and alternatives to increase the organ donor pool.