[Current state of lung transplantation].

Since the beginning of the eightieth the combined heart lung transplantation and two years later the single lung transplantation were established as therapeutical techniques in the treatment of patients with severe heart diseases and lung hypertension as well as patients with end-stage lung diseases. After numerous experimental studies clinical success was reached, but a real progress in the operation technique concerning long term effects was attained only after experimental investigations in primates. The introduction of Cyclosporin in the clinical practice was important for the control of immunological reactions. Especially the single lung transplantation and the "domino"-principle are to stress concerning an increase of availability of donor organs. The lung transplantation opened besides the therapeutical value new aspects in the investigation of physiology and biology of the respiration and lung.