Critical care considerations in the post-operative period for the lung transplant patient

The post-operative management of a lung transplant recipient can be complex. Several factors including medical comorbidities, severity of illness at the time of transplant and intra-operative events can affect graft function and overall survival. During the immediate post-operative period, it becomes essential for early recognition of disease-specific sequelae as they can impact the patient’s outcome and quality of life. This often necessitates a multidisciplinary team of pulmonologists, surgeons, medical sub-specialists as well as skilled nurses and respiratory therapists familiar with caring for these patients. Based on the experiences of a high-volume transplant center, this chapter will outline key considerations within each organ system in this specific patient population in the Intensive Care Unit.