Life first and science respect: A commentary on current status and expectations of China's lung transplantation

Lung transplantation is the only effective method for the treatment of end-stage lung diseases. Lung transplantation has achieved rapid development in the world. At present, about 4 000 cases are carried out every year, and the long-term survival rate has gradually improved. With a high incidence of lung disease in China, at least ten thousand patients with respiratory failure need lung transplantation every year. In 2020, 29 lung transplantation centers in China has carried out more than 500 cases of lung transplantation. Idiopathic pulmonary interstitial fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, secondary pulmonary interstitial fibrosis and pneumoconiosis were the main primary diseases in lung transplantation recipients in China. Single-lung transplantation accounted for 57.6% and double-lung transplantation accounted for 42.4%, respectively. Peri-operation (<30 days), one-year, and three-year survival rates were 78.5%, 64.5% and 48.9%, respectively for double-lung transplant. The corresponding survival rates for single-lung transplant recipients were 83.0%, 69.9% and 46.8%, respectively. The Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University completed the first case of COVID-19 lung transplantation operation in Hubei Province in 2020, and the patients recovered and discharged successfully after the operation. Although China has made great progress in lung transplantation, it is still necessary to realize that the multi-disciplinary team cooperation mode and data registration management still need to be further strengthened, in order to provide more clinical guidelines and expert consensus and make the steady development and improvement of each lung transplantation center. The lung transplantation in China will be gradually promoted to the center of the organ transplantation stage in the world. © 2021, Editorial Board of Medical Journal of Wuhan University. All right reserved.