Georgakopoulou VE. Optimizing patient outcomes in interstitial lung disease through pre- and post-transplant management strategies. World J Transplant 2025; 15(3): 101866 [DOI: 10.5500/wjt.v15.i3.101866]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Vasiliki E Georgakopoulou, MD, Doctor, Department of Pathophysiology, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 17 Agiou Toma Street, Athens 11527, Greece. vaso_georgakopoulou@hotmail.com
Research Domain of This Article
Respiratory System
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Transplant. Sep 18, 2025; 15(3): 101866 Published online Sep 18, 2025. doi: 10.5500/wjt.v15.i3.101866
Optimizing patient outcomes in interstitial lung disease through pre- and post-transplant management strategies
Vasiliki E Georgakopoulou
Vasiliki E Georgakopoulou, Department of Pathophysiology, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
Author contributions: Georgakopoulou VE designed the research study, performed the research, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Vasiliki E Georgakopoulou, MD, Doctor, Department of Pathophysiology, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 17 Agiou Toma Street, Athens 11527, Greece. vaso_georgakopoulou@hotmail.com
Received: September 28, 2024 Revised: February 10, 2025 Accepted: February 27, 2025 Published online: September 18, 2025 Processing time: 201 Days and 10.6 Hours
Abstract
Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) encompass a diverse group of over 200 chronic pulmonary disorders characterized by varying degrees of inflammation and fibrosis, which can lead to severe respiratory impairment. Lung transplantation offers a crucial therapeutic option for patients with advanced ILD, extending survival and improving quality of life. This review explores optimal management strategies in both the pre- and post-transplant phases to enhance patient outcomes. Comprehensive pre-transplant evaluation, including pulmonary function testing, imaging, and comorbidity assessment, is critical for determining transplant eligibility and timing. Post-transplant care must focus on preventing complications such as primary graft dysfunction and chronic lung allograft dysfunction, managed through tailored immunosuppression and proactive monitoring. Recent advancements in diagnostic techniques and therapeutic approaches, including emerging technologies like ex vivo lung perfusion and precision medicine, promise to further improve outcomes. The ultimate goal is to establish an evidence-based, multidisciplinary framework for optimizing ILD management and lung transplantation.
Core Tip: This review highlights the complexities of managing advanced interstitial lung diseases in the context of lung transplantation. Comprehensive pre-transplant evaluation and meticulous post-transplant care are essential to optimizing patient outcomes. Emerging diagnostic and therapeutic innovations, including precision medicine, offer promising avenues to enhance survival and quality of life for patients undergoing lung transplantation.
