Okayama University Hospital succeeds in the world’s first transplant that combines parts of the left and right lung to make one lung

Surgeons at Okayama University Hospital performed the world’s first successful transplant that combined the upper lobes of the left and right lung from a brain-dead donor into one to create a left lung for a brain-dead donor lung transplant. The surgical operation was performed by Professor Takahiro Oto from the Transplantation Center and started at 1:25 p.m. on July 1 and lasted for approximately 9 hours. A double-lung transplant was initially considered, but the lower lobes of the donor’s lungs were not in a good condition, so a decision was made to create one left lung out of the upper lobes from both lungs which were functioning sufficiently.

At the press conference held on the 2nd of July, Professor Oto said, “Japan has a low rate of organ donation from brain-dead patients and not a single organ can be wasted. We need to use the precious organs that are donated and decrease the number of transplants that we must forgo.”

Further information
Okayama University (English page)
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/news/index_id6914.html
Okayama University (Japanese page)
http://wwhttp://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/news/news_id6823.html

Reference (Okayama University e-Bulletin) : lung transplant
e-Bulletin vol.2：
Okayama University Hospital surgeons perform a record 100 lung transplants exceeding any other hospital in Japan.
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/news/vol2/news_001.html

e-Bulletin vol.4：
World's first successful living donor transplant of the middle lobe of a lung: Mother's lung saves the life of her three year old son
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/news/vol4/news_001.html

e-Bulletin vol.9：
Successful completion of a contralateral lung transplant using a donor lung from a brain-dead donor: a first in Japan
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/news/vol9/news_001.html

e-Bulletin vol.12：
World’s first hybrid lung transplant: Simultaneous lung transplants from both brain-dead and living donors
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/news/vol12/news_004.html

e-Bulletin vol.17：
Surgeons at Okayama University Medical Hospital succeed in world’s second hybrid lung transplant operation: Simultaneous lung transplants from both brain-dead and living donors
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/news/vol17/news_002.html

e-Bulletin vol.19：
Okayama University Hospital successfully conducts lung transplant surgery from brain-dead donor to Japan’s youngest recipient
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/news/vol19/news_001.html