Lung and heart-lung transplantation with direct bronchial artery revascularization

The lungs have a dual blood supply, the pulmonary artery low pressure system and the bronchial arteries. The two systems communicate. The bronchial arteries are small arteries that originate in the descending aorta and follow the bronchi far out in the lung parenchyma. Venous drainage is to pulmonary and systemic veins (1, 2), and by precapillary anastomoses into the pulmonary circulation (2).