# Simultaneous heart and lung transplants

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simultaneous-heart-and-lung-transplants/138152>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 22, 2002, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simultaneous-heart-and-lung-transplants/138152 "2002-11-22T15:02:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AV8R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AV8R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AV8R)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simultaneous-heart-and-lung-transplants/138152/1 "2002-11-22T15:02:38Z")

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How rare and difficult are simultaneous heart/lung transplant operations?

These were mentioned on two shows this week, _ **The West Wing** _ and _ **ER** _.

On _ **The West Wing** _, they made it sound like the procedure was extremely rare - that it could only be done in the US or Japan, that Japan had no survivors yet, and that there were only three surgeons in the US who could do it.

However, on _ **ER** _, it was an emergency procedure done at a county hospital.

I suspect that the truth lies somewhere in between these to portrayals. An insights?

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**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simultaneous-heart-and-lung-transplants/138152/2 "2002-11-22T15:49:00Z")

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From ["]an article on [WebMD.com](http://WebMD.com):](  
[quote)

> [@](#):
>
> \*\*In the three decades since the performance of the first human heart transplant in December 1967, the procedure has changed from an experimental operation to an established treatment for advanced heart disease. Approximately 2,300 heart transplants are performed each year in the United States.
> 
> …
> 
> In 1981, combined heart and lung transplants began to be used to treat patients with conditions that severely damage both these organs. As of 1995, about 500 people in the United States and 2,000 worldwide have received heart-lung transplants. … About 60 percent of heart-lung transplants live at least 1 year after surgery.
> 
> …
> 
> Thirty to fifty percent of patients who receive a heart-lung transplant develop bronchiolitis obliterans, in which there are obstructive changes in the airways of the lungs.\*\*

Also, a Google search on **“heart and lung transplant”, surgeons, qualified** revealed quite a few surgeons, both in the U.S. and abroad, who have experience with the procedure – certainly far more than _The West Wing_ would have you think.

As for the accuracy of _ER_’s plot in conveniently having a transplant surgeon on board, keep in mind that County General is supposed to be a teaching hospital in a major city (Chicago) containing several university medical centers (Northwestern, U of Chicago, DePaul). I’d consider it well likely that a transplant specialist would be available in short order, if not already on County General’s staff.