Contemporary Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation is a successful therapeutic option for patients with end-stage respiratory failure. Although the clinical outcomes of this procedure have been constantly improving, the care of patients undergoing lung transplantation is still a striking challenge for the entire team involved in the process. The complexity of a clinical lung transplant program requires a trained, multi-specialist team and continuing technical update. Technology provides exciting new opportunities for the improvement of clinical outcomes.  This text provides a comprehensive, practical and up-to-date insight into clinical lung transplantation. It moves along the pre-, intra-, and post-operative phases of transplantation. It explores the most relevant surgical, medical and immunological concepts of this field. The content focuses not only on the technical, scientific and medical aspects of lung transplantation, but also on the administrative, regulatory and nursing topics of running a lung transplant program. Rather than presenting purely theoretical chapters, the text sets the focus on clinical dilemmas and practical issues involving all the professionals who actively run a lung transplant program. The reader will be able to access the book for reference on any topic related to clinical care in lung transplantation. This text is intended as a practical resource for surgeons, physicians and health professionals involved in lung transplantation or in setting up a lung transplant program. All chapters are written by experts in their fields and will include the most up to date scientific and clinical information. The overall intent of this publication is to assist the health care provider in all the daily aspects of lung transplantation and to offer a modern, practical source of suggestions and answers. 

Dr. Alessandro Bertani Dr. Bertani, born April 23rd, 1973, is a graduate of the University of Pavia School of Medicine in 1998. After completing his general surgery residency at the Department of General Surgery, Liver and Lung Transplantation in Bergamo (Italy), he trained as a clinical fellow in cardiothoracic transplant surgery (2002-2003) and Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery (2003-2004) at the University of Pittsburgh (USA). He also trained as a clinical fellow in Cardiothoracic Surgery (2005-2006) at ISMETT-UPMC Italy, Palermo. In 2006 he completed a PhD in Experimental Surgery and Microsurgery at the University of Pavia School of Medicine. He holds national boards in general surgery and thoracic surgery. After joining ISMETT as an attending thoracic surgeon in 2007, Dr. Bertani was appointed in 2011 as the Chief of Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation. In March 2023 he founded and was appointed as the Director of the Chest Center at ISMETT, a multidisciplinary Department focusing on lung, mediastinal and esophageal disease. He also is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Director of the ISMETT pre-clinical research laboratories in Palermo. He performed more than 3000 general and thoracic surgery operations, including oncologic and benign, open and minimally invasive pulmonary, mediastinal and esophageal cases. He performed more than 1000 airway and gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, including endoscopic ultrasound and interventional endoscopy. He trained many junior surgeons to perform independently thoracic surgery and lung transplant procedures. Since 2005, Dr. Bertani contributed to the development of the lung transplant program at ISMETT that grew as one of Italy's busiest programs performing approximately 15 cases/year, including cadaveric, lobar, adult, pediatric transplants and extra-corporeal supports. In 2006 Dr. Bertani performed the first case of lung transplantation in the world in an HIV-positive patient. The clinical activity of Dr. Bertani also includes an active contribution to the development of lung transplant and thoracic surgery international activities for UPMC. He is a member of several international medical societies including the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) and the European Society for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) and serves for several national scientific boards and committees. As a visiting professor, he joined different lung transplant and thoracic surgery centers worldwide. Dr. Bertani also sits on the board of directors of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) and of the Italian VATS Group. As of 2024, he is the Director of Education of the ESTS. Dr. Bertani acts as principal investigators for several research projects in the field of thoracic surgery and transplantation, both clinical and pre-clinical, which are m