Pulmonary rehabilitation: Pulmonary rehabilitation is a formal exercise program
specifically designed for people with lung conditions. This outpatient activity is paid for
by Medicare and most other insurances and is designed to help you control or reduce
breathlessness and recondition the body to feel less short of breath. Exercise can also keep
muscles throughout the body in better shape so that patients can better tolerate exercise.
This comprehensive program offers:
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Structured and monitored exercise training
Nutrition advice
Techniques for reducing and controlling breathing problems
Education about maintaining and improving body function
Help to quit smoking
Emotional and psychological support
Improved muscle function that decreases shortness of breath
Your doctor must prescribe pulmonary rehabilitation and will need to specify the
activity level you can tolerate.
Lung transplantation: PF is the leading cause for lung transplants in the United
States today. A lung transplant can improve both a patient’s survival and quality of
life. However, serious complications sometimes occur.
Lung transplantation involves replacing one, or sometimes both, of your diseased
lungs with a donor lung. To be considered, a candidate generally must:
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• Be oxygen-dependent
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• Be physically able to undergo surgery and the treatment that follows
Have a severe lung disease that no longer responds to medical treatment and may
be fatal in 2 years
Usually be under the age of 65-70, although the most recent guideline states that
patients can be up to age 75 years if they are otherwise very healthy.
Lung transplantation has many risks and donor lungs are not easily available. Waiting
for a donor lung can sometimes take up to 2 or more years. Also, after surgery,
you will need to take many different medications for the rest of your life to prevent
rejection of the transplanted lung(s) and to prevent infection and additional medicines
will be needed to treat episodes of rejection as well as infections should these
complications occur.
Choosing to undergo lung transplantation is a big decision and is not the right course
for everyone with PF. Be sure to discuss these options thoroughly, both with your
pulmonologist and other clinicians who are expert at these procedures.
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