BACKGROUND Reimplantation disease (RD) is a postoperative complication in lung transplantation. It is defined as hypoxemia (PaO2/FiO2 ratio < 150 mmHg), radiologic infiltrates and decrease of lung compliance. The aim of the study was to analyze the incidence, predictive factors, prognosis and outcome of the patients with RD. METHODS 49 patients submitted to lung transplantation (June 1991-December 1996) were admitted in our intensive care unit (ICU). Donor and recipient conditions, surgical parameters and outcome in ICU were analyzed. Mann-Whitney, Kruskall-Wallis, Fisher, Pearson and ANOVA-Friedman tests were used for statistical analysis according to the different variables. RESULTS 49% of the patients (29/49) developed RD, which was influenced neither by lung disease, nor by the kind of transplantation or by ischemia time. All patients with a long surgical time developed RD, versus only 41% in those where surgery was undertaken in a shorter period of time, OR: 2.8 (1.5-5.7; p = 0.0016). The patients with RD improved showing a PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 176 and 235 mmHg at 24 and 48 h respectively (ANOVA, p < 0.00001). The patients with RD needed 14 days of mechanical ventilation versus 7 days in those without RD (p = 0.013). There were no statistically significant differences in stay and mortality in ICU. CONCLUSIONS RD is a common complication in the postoperative phase of lung transplantation. It is present in almost all the patients with long surgical time. Almost all of them improve, with the same survival but a longer period of mechanical ventilation.