Lung Transplant Travel Insurance

To get a quote, please call us on:01273 773 017 or Email: chris@jsinsurance.co.uk

Lung Transplant

A Lung Transplant is a surgical procedure in which diseased lungs are removed from the body and replaced by healthy donor organs.

Transplants are a last resort for a patient who has exhausted all other types of treatment and has seen no improvement.

Some of the illnesses affecting the lungs include:

• Cystic fibrosis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Emphysema

Transplants can be either single lung or double lung. Illnesses such as cystic fibrosis require both lungs to be replaced due to the risk of bacteria in the native lung infecting the donor organ.

Suitable candidates for transplant are calculated on:

• Health
• Size match
• Age
• Blood type

There are many requirements for potential recipients, including:

• End-stage lung disease
• Short prognosis (typically 18-24 months)
• No other chronic conditions
• No response to other treatments
• No HIV or hepatitis
• Age
• Acceptable weight
• Ability to embark on post-operative health regime
• No alcohol or tobacco

Some people may be refused a donor organ for a variety of reasons.

These include:

• Associated illnesses such as kidney disease or congestive heart failure
• Infections such as HIV or hepatitis
• Current or recent cancer diagnosis
• Use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs
• Overage/underage
• Likelihood of non compliance with medical instruction
• Psychiatric conditions

Patients who are deemed eligible for a lung transplant must carry a pager on them at all times in case a donor organ becomes available.

The lung tissue begins to deteriorate very rapidly when it is removed from the body so the lungs can only last around 4-6 hours.

This means that the recipient and donor must be within a short geographical distance of each other.

After the surgery, patients normally stay in hospital for around one to three weeks. This can very depending on complications.

Rejection of the new lung is a significant danger. This happens because the new organ is from another person, so the recipient's immune system may regard it is an invader and try to attack it.

Signs of rejection include:

• Fever
• Nausea
• Chills
• Shaking
• Breathing difficulty
• Chest pain
• Dramatic weight loss or gain

This occurs in around 50% of recipients and is treated with a combination of immunosuppressants and anti-biotics.

Remember to take a plentiful supply of your medication when travelling. Keep all medicines in hand luggage in case of delay or loss of luggage.

Take care to avoid infection. Avoid areas with poor sanitation and only drink bottled water. High risk foods such as shellfish should also be avoided.

Do not swim in the sea - however, swimming in chlorinated pools is fine.

After a successful operation you will also be unable to drive for three months, so please take this into account when planning your holiday.

If you are travelling with others, we can include them on the policy even if they do not have any pre existing medical conditions.

Useful Websites: Lung Transplant Information - British Lung Foundation - Lung Transplant Introduction - Lung Transplant Article

To get a quote, please call us on:01273 773 017 or Email: chris@jsinsurance.co.uk

This Travel Insurance is provided by goodtogoinsurance.com. goodtogoinsurance.com is an appointed representative of Ancile Insurance Group Ltd. which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority - No 471641.