Successful lung transplantation from a donor with a saddle pulmonary embolus.

Pulmonary embolus has received scant attention as a contraindication to lung donation. Reported is a case of a saddle pulmonary embolus successfully treated with thrombolytics in a donor whose lung was ultimately successfully transplanted. Discussed are the theoretical likelihood of thromboembolus in potential lung donors and the possible implications of pulmonary embolism on donor selection and lung physiology around the time of transplantation.