Altered Physiology of the Pulmonary Vascular Bed

O UT OF THE SEVERAL REPORTED EXperiments of lung reimplantation, a few basic concepts have been derived. A number of dogs have survived for long periods of time after reimplantation of one lung; however, the animals do not live for more than a few weeks after complete one stage removal of the contralateral normal lung.”#{176} The ventilatory function and oxygen consumption value of the transplanted lung is diminished to an average of 35 per cent of normal.”8”#{176} In those animals that have survived reimplantation of one lung, the pulmonary artery pressures are elevated.5”0 This elevation in pressure becomes higher when the animal is forced to live on the reimplanted lung alone after complete ablation by staged resection and bronchial stenosis of the contralateral normal lung. The exact changes in the vascular bed of the reimplanted lung leading to this elevation in pulmonary artery pressure have not been adequately defined. All data derived from the physiologic