Ethical issues in lung transplantation.

Abstract

Lung transplantation is now an accepted therapeutic option for many patients with incurable end-stage lung or pulmonary vascular disease processes for which other treatment options have been expended. However, as lung transplantation has evolved as a recognized discipline over the past decade, a variety of ethical issues related to the transplant process are emerging. This article considers those issues through a discussion of the four fundamental principles of biomedical ethics.