New research from Temple University, suggests that lungs from a heavy smoker can be used for transplants, provided they are free from any type of disease, reports Medical Xpress.
The research shows a positive trend in lung transplants even if the donor was a heavy smoker for over 20 years. Such a transplant will not affect the recipients' endurance rate or cause death due to lung cancer, says the report.
"Our findings demonstrate that the current criteria for lung transplantation can potentially be revised to include donors with a heavy smoking history," Dr. Sharven Taghavi, from Temple University Hospital, told reporters. "This may help decrease the shortage of donor lungs and decrease waiting list mortality. For example, a surgeon may choose to transplant lungs from a healthy donor who has good lung function despite heavy smoking, or lungs may be accepted from a less-than-ideal donor for a very sick patient."
The study included 5,900 patients who underwent a double lung transplant between 2005 and 2011. Patients' data taken from the United Network for Organ Sharing showed nearly 13 percent of all the recipients' lungs were from heavy smokers.
The lungs were carefully examined for any type of disease. The survival rates in patients who received lungs from heavy smokers showed not much difference from the recipients who received from non-smokers.
"Lungs from heavy smokers must be carefully evaluated," Dr. Yoshiya Toyoda, surgical director, heart and lung transplantation, said in the news release. "We recommend a CT scan for evidence of tumors and emphysema in addition to routine assessment including blood gas, bronchoscopy and visual inspection."
He further suggested that the recipients of lungs from heavy smokers be aware of a higher risk of acquiring lung cancer.
