The Center for Thoracic Transplantation at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center's Heart & Lung Institute in Phoenix, Arizona is proud to provide a lung transplant program.
Lung transplant surgery is a viable treatment option for patients with end-stage, high risk lung diseases. Lung transplants are among the most complicated procedures. Lung transplant patients must receive lifelong care after the lung transplant operation, 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.
Lung Transplant Program 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 lung surgery, evaluates and prepares candidates for transplantation, and then conducts the lung 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 Phoenix, Arizona 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.
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