World's first
lung transplant on HIV patient performed

Italian doctors have performed the world's first successful lung transplant on a patient with HIV, a medical institute in southern city of Palermo announced on Friday. The patient was reported to be in stable condition after the operation.

The man, whose age was not disclosed, suffered from terminal respiratory problems. The transplant was his only chance for survival.

"This is an important event in the progress of transplants," Alessandro Nanni Costa, director of Italy's national transplant center, said in the statement.

According to a University of Pennsylvania Health System press release, kidney and liver transplants are the most common operations of this type performed on HIV-positive patients.

In the past, transplant centers have refused people with HIV due to higher rates of morbidity and mortality. With the evolution of anti-HIV medications and the corresponding improved health of HIV-positive patients, transplants have recently become a viable medical option. (The Advocate)