Lung Transplant Eligibility & Evaluation
Mayo Clinic evaluates people with serious lung disease when breathing becomes harder, oxygen needs increase, or everyday activities become more difficult. An evaluation looks beyond your diagnosis. Your team considers your lung disease, overall health, previous treatment, and the support you may need. Together, this information helps determine whether transplant or another care approach may be right for you.
You don’t need to know whether you’re eligible before asking for an evaluation.
Who’s eligible? Learn what Mayo Clinic evaluates.
If you have serious lung disease, several factors can help determine whether lung transplant is an option for you. Although 65 is the traditional age limit for lung transplant, Mayo Clinic also evaluates people over 65 who do not have significant health conditions beyond their lung disease.
Age and lung function are only part of the evaluation. Your team evaluates several factors that can affect your transplant options:
- Lung disease severity and breathing support
- Overall health and other medical conditions
- Readiness to participate in treatment
- Previous treatments and how well they worked
- Nutrition, strength, and rehabilitation needs
- Caregiver and recovery support
Conditions commonly treated with lung transplant.
Lung transplant may be an option for people with many different conditions, including:
Mayo Clinic also evaluates people with conditions such as nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis (NSIP), congenital heart disease, and lung damage following a significant infection, such as COVID-19.
Your diagnosis is important, but there’s more to consider when deciding whether a transplant is right for you. An evaluation can help you understand what’s possible.
Signs it may be time for a transplant evaluation.
Taking the first step with an evaluation.
A lung transplant evaluation brings together your health history, testing, and specialist review. Over several days, you may meet with different specialists and complete a range of tests. Testing can include blood work, lung function tests, imaging, and checks of your heart and kidneys. Other tests depend on your health history and what your team needs to learn. The results help your team plan your care.
After your evaluation, you’ll review the results and discuss what comes next with your transplant team. If they recommend moving forward with transplant, your team will help you improve your health and lower your risks before transplant to support better outcomes afterward.
Explore lung transplant care at Mayo Clinic.
