The Center for Thoracic Transplantation at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center's Heart & Lung Institute is proud to provide a lung transplant program.
Lung transplantation is a viable treatment option for patients with end-stage lung diseases. Lung transplants are among the most complicated procedures. Lung transplant patients must receive lifelong care after the transplant, which includes daily medications to prevent organ rejection.
Between 2007 and 2009, the transplant team evaluated more than 50 end-stage lung disease patients. The average waiting time for a graft in the program is 45 days. The hospital and 30-day mortality is 0 percent. The lung transplant program has achieved very strong survival rates that are above national averages. The one-year survival rate is 95 percent. A continued emphasis on quality assurance and quality improvement is central to the program, reflected in the post-transplant length of stay average of 12 days.
Allison's Story
Continuum of Care
St. Joseph’s provides a continuum of care for patients with advanced lung disease. The clinical team evaluates the patient’s condition, selects appropriate candidates for transplantation, evaluates and prepares candidates for transplantation, and then conducts the transplant procedure and provides post transplant care.
The lung transplant team also provides care to more than 75 post lung transplant patients. Since there was no existing program in the Valley prior to St. Joseph's program, some transplant patients traveled as far as St. Louis for their care. St. Joseph’s now provides these patients with comprehensive care, so patient travel is minimized. The patients also feel a real sense of comfort knowing that if they are in an emergency situation they can be treated close to home.
The transplant team is excited to continue the program’s growth. There are more than 450 referrals for transplants and the team continues to list patients on the UNOS transplant waiting list.
History of Lung Transplants
- 1963 - James Hardy performed first lung transplant
- 1976 - Cyclosporine introduced
- 1981 - Stanford performs first heart-lung transplant
- 1983 - Toronto performs first single lung transplant
- 1986 - Toronto performs first en bloc double lung transplant
- 1989 - Procedure changed to bilateral sequential lung transplant
- 1990 - First successful living-lobar lung donor transplant
- 2006 - 3,262 heart-lung and 23,716 lung recipients around the world
Referrals and Consultations
For more information about our services, please call 1-877-602-4111.
