There were 1,536 lung transplants reported to the St. Louis International Lung Transplant Registry as of September 1, 1992. The number of centers performing lung transplants increased each year. The 1- and 2-year actuarial survival statistics for all transplants were 68% and 60%, respectively. The most common indication for transplantation was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, followed by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema secondary to alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, and cystic fibrosis. Among the total of 492 deaths reported (34%), sepsis was the leading cause of death.