Hong Kong has 18 waiting for lung transplants; donor lungs scarce due to infection risk
As of September, about 2,631 patients in Hong Kong are on organ transplant waiting lists, including around 18 waiting for lung transplants. A doctor says donor lungs are rarely suitable due to infection susceptibility, and no lungs have been obtained through the cross-border organ transplant mechani
As of September, about 2,631 patients in Hong Kong are on organ transplant waiting lists, including approximately 18 cases waiting for lung transplants, according to hospital authorities.
A 66-year-old male patient who recently received a lung transplant said he had been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis more than 10 years ago. He saw his brother die from the same disease and experienced declining physical fitness in recent years, unable to walk for more than 10 minutes without stopping. He described being unable to work and fearing he had become a burden to his family, adding that even mopping the floor left him breathless. He thanked the donor for giving him a second life, and said that after more than a year of continuous post-surgery exercise, his physical fitness has recovered to 60 to 70 per cent. He vowed to continue training hard.
Dr. Yan Sze-wan, Acting Head of the Tuberculosis and Chest Medicine Department at Grantham Hospital, said patients with terminal lung disease face significant challenges, requiring frequent hospitalisation, dependence on ventilators, restricted mobility and daily life, and high risk of death, making transplant surgery necessary. She noted that donor lungs are more susceptible to infection than other organs, so suitable lungs available for transplant are very rare. To date, no lung donations have been obtained through the cross-border organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism. She urged the public to actively register for organ donation and inform their families, hoping more people can benefit in the future.
Eligibility requirements for transplant recipients include being under 65 years old, having normal function of vital organs other than the lungs, and being assessed as suitable before being placed on the waiting list. Recipients must also match the donor's blood type and body size.
