Lung transplantation increases survival of children with cystic fibrosis 

A study was done at the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, to evaluate the effect of lung transplantation on children with cystic fibres. 124 children with cystic fibrosis who were accepted for lung transplantation comprised the study group. Of the 47 patients who received transplants during the study period, 35(74%) were alive a year after transplantation, and 12 patients were still alive five years after transplantation. Paul Aurora and colleagues who carried out the study said that correctly timed lung transplantation would prolong life for most children with cystic fibrosis. They also said that unless survival without transplantation improved dramatically, transplantation should remain a therapeutic option for cystic fibrosis patients with end-stage lung disease. This was reported in the November 6, 1999 issue of The Lancet (1999; 354:1591-1593).