Lung transplantation and beyond: continued challenges in the wake of significant progress

Since the first clinical lung transplant was successfully performed in 1983 (1), lung transplantation has evolved into a well-recognized therapy for patients with end-stage lung diseases. According to the most recent registry data from the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) (2), the total number of lung transplants performed in the world continues to increase and is currently approximately 4,000 cases annually. Interestingly, however, most lung transplants are performed at a limited number of centers. One-third of all lung transplants are done at 14 transplant centers that each perform more than 50 cases per year. These centers are recognized as “high-volume transplant centers”.