Lung transplantation in elderly patients

Consensus statements on the selection of lung transplant candidates have consistently identified older age as a relative contraindication to transplantation. A combination of population-level demographic changes, revision of the lung allocation score (LAS), and clearer data on outcomes in elderly transplant recipients has, however, driven a steady increase in the threshold at which age is taken into consideration. This article reviews the current state of lung transplantation in elderly patients with an emphasis on the factors that have increased lung transplantation in older age groups, their expected outcomes including survival and health-related quality of life, and the factors that go in to appropriate candidate and procedure selection in this population.