No breathing tube needed: new lung transplant approach tested

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Subjects must voluntarily participate in this study, possess full civil capacity, be able to understand the study protocol, and sign a written informed consent. 2. Be between 18 and 74 years of age. 3. Be listed on the lung transplant waiting list of the China Lung Transplant Registry (CLuTR) or their respective centers and intend to undergo lung transplantation. 4. Have an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) anesthesia grade 4 or lower and be expected to be able to tolerate anesthesia. 5. Preoperative assessment indicates that cardiac function (LVEF ≥ 50%), renal function (eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m²), and liver function (Child-Pugh A) are compatible with surgery. 6) Completed the pre-lung transplant respiratory rehabilitation program assessment and demonstrated good compliance; 7\) Not receiving continuous endotracheal intubation or tracheostomy prior to surgery; 8) No active infection, including active tuberculosis, HIV, or positive hepatitis B/C viral load before surgery; 9) Have a clear and reliable post-operative care support system (including at least one primary caregiver). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Refusing to sign informed consent or withdrawing informed consent during the trial; 2. Planning to undergo a second lung transplant or a combined multi-organ transplant (such as heart-lung, lung-liver, lung-kidney, etc.); 3. Clearly combined with uncontrollable active infection (such as tuberculosis, uncontrolled fungal infection) or sepsis; 4. Patients with obvious neuropsychiatric disorders, unconsciousness or long-term use of sedative/analgesic psychotropic drugs before surgery; 5. Active malignant tumors (except those treated within the past 2 years) or those with a high risk of postoperative recurrence; 6. Clearly diagnosed severe chest deformity or spinal deformity that may affect lung compliance during surgery; 7. Serum anti-HLA high sensitization (PRA ≥ 80%) and no matching donor available; 8. There are clear contraindications to the planned tubeless surgical anesthesia strategy (such as expected intraoperative airway difficulty, pharyngeal stenosis and laryngeal mask unsuitable, etc.); 9. Pregnant or lactating women. 10. Other conditions deemed unsuitable for participation in this study by the investigator (e.g., anticipated inability to complete follow-up, concurrent malignancy, etc.). 11. Patients with bronchiectasis or bronchial vascular hyperplasia difficult to manage with interventional therapy prior to surgery.