Asan Medical Center Gives New Life to 300 End-Stage Lung Failure Patients Through Lung Transplantation

Asan Medical Center in Seoul has performed a total of 300 lung transplant surgeries to date for patients with end-stage lung failure who have difficulty breathing without mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

According to Asan Medical Center on December 15, the Lung Transplant Team at the hospital's Organ Transplant Center successfully performed its 300th lung transplant on November 21, transplanting the lungs of a brain-dead donor into Mr. Han, who had been suffering from interstitial lung disease that had hardened his lungs and made breathing difficult. After the surgery, Mr. Han received intensive care in the ICU and specialized respiratory rehabilitation, and he is currently recovering smoothly.

The medical staff of the Lung Transplant Team at Asan Medical Center in Seoul are taking a commemorative photo on the 9th to celebrate the successful surgery and recovery of the 300th lung transplant patient (center). Photo by Asan Medical Center

The Lung Transplant Team at Asan Medical Center began by transplanting the lungs of a brain-dead donor into a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 2008. In 2017, they succeeded in the nation's first living-donor lung transplant. To date, they have performed 299 brain-dead donor lung transplants and one living-donor lung transplant. Since 2019, they have conducted more than 30 lung transplants per year on average.

Even more noteworthy than the number of surgeries is the post-transplant survival rate, which is among the best in the world. Of the 300 lung transplant recipients, about 66% were severe cases who had required long-term respiratory support with mechanical ventilation or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Despite this, the post-transplant survival rates are outstanding: 76.5% at one year, 67.9% at three years, 64.2% at five years, and 60.5% at seven years.

For comparison, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), which aggregates data from leading lung transplant centers worldwide, reports survival rates of 85% at one year, 67% at three years, and 61% at five years. Despite the higher severity of cases at Asan Medical Center, the hospital demonstrates superior long-term survival rates beyond five years.

According to data compiled in 2024 by the Korea Organ Donation Agency (KONOS), the survival rates for lung transplant patients at domestic medical institutions are 68.7% at one year, 56.2% at three years, 49.6% at five years, and 43.8% at seven years, making Asan Medical Center's outcomes even more impressive in comparison.

Unlike other organs such as the heart, liver, or kidneys, lungs have fewer donations from brain-dead donors, resulting in longer waiting times for transplants. In addition, because the lungs are continuously exposed to outside air during breathing, the risk of infection is high. The risk of transplant rejection is also significant, making high post-transplant survival rates difficult to achieve.

Nevertheless, Asan Medical Center's Lung Transplant Team has achieved world-class survival rates thanks to an integrated multidisciplinary system. In addition to the accumulated surgical experience of cardiothoracic surgeons, all medical staff-including those from pulmonology, anesthesiology and pain medicine, infectious diseases, rehabilitation medicine, psychiatry, the organ transplant center, intensive care unit, and wards-work together as a single team to provide intensive care for transplant patients.

After lung transplantation, patients must consistently take immunosuppressants to prevent rejection and various complications. The Lung Transplant Team at Asan Medical Center closely manages patients' immunosuppressant regimens and provides proper respiratory rehabilitation, ensuring long-term survival and a high quality of life for patients.

Among the 300 lung transplant patients, 192 were male (64%) and 108 were female (36%), with a significantly higher number of male patients. By age group, those in their 60s accounted for the largest proportion with 103 patients, followed by those in their 50s (79), 40s (38), 30s (28), 20s (13), teens (24), and under 10 years old (14).