“The successful procedure shows that well-selected lungs can be safely transplanted after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition, it is encouraging that, in harsh Covid-19 times, lungs can recover sufficiently to even qualify for a transplant, thus giving another patient a second life, ”says Ceulemans. The professor led the team that performed the transplant.
The procedure is described in the renowned trade journal The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. It is known to be the first reported successful lung transplant from a donor to undergo Covid-19.
No lung damage
Before the transplant, the lungs of the deceased donor – who had experienced mild Covid-19 three months earlier – were thoroughly examined to determine whether they were eligible for surgery. The studies were positive: the donor’s lung function was very good and a CT scan showed no signs of lung damage, the press release says.
According to the surgeons, pulmonologists and virologists involved, the risk to the recipient from the lungs was minimal. Staying on the waiting list longer would pose a much greater risk, it sounds.
The transplant went without complications and after a month the patient was able to leave the hospital. “Three months after the operation, the patient is doing very well: the lung function is excellent and the CT scan shows no lung abnormalities,” says Ceulemans. “Further follow-up is of course necessary: we are calling on other transplant teams to also share their findings with organ transplants from ex-Covid-19 patients.”
UZ Leuven is one of the largest lung transplant centers in Europe. More than 70 lung transplants are performed each year.
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