Lung transplant???

[Ellen B.]

When Henk was in hospital for chemo, he spoke with a man who was in his forties and just dxd.

The cancer being throughout his lungs, docs had told this man that he would problably die within a couple of weeks.

However, because of this very grim prognosis, they were trying to give him a lung transplant.

I never heard of a lung transplant for LC patients. Is this new?

Ellen.

[Donna G]

I wonder if someone is just trying to "cheer" him up. If they won't even do surgery on Stage 4 lung cancer , how would a person get a lung transplant? Another thought- the list for lung those needing lung transplants is long- how would he get to the top before he died?

He is young. Do you think it is possible that this is a "trial" or study?

[cindi o'h]

hello, Ellen.

I think that the first successful lung transplant was done at the UofMinnesota.

Now, there are many ways of approaching.

They will sometimes do transplants from live donors. In other words, use one lobe from one donor and another lobe from a second donor to equal some breathing room for survival.

It is my understanding that approaching lung transplant is made more successful by transplanting both the heart and lung(s) together as a unit.

I am sure I read this somewhere over the years. I haven't researched it.

I am surprised that a lung transplant would be given to someone who has lung cancer. My thinking is that there may be micro metastases around the rest of the body.

I did talk with my surgeon about the possibility of a lung transplant to me. He said that there is very poor survival rate with transplants. He said less than one year. And the quality of life is poor.

The pulmonologist who treats me is a member of the heart/lung transplant team and clinic at the UofM. Next I see her, I will ask her what she thinks about this.

Cindi o'h

[Frank Lamb]

I asked about lung transplant at the VA and they told me no.That is out of the question.

[RandyW]

I saw something on the CNN ticker the other day about a girl in georgia who was recovering from a lung and heart transplant.

Stanford is recognized worldwide as a pioneering center for heart transplants.

Dr. Norman Shumway and his colleagues developed the experimental basis for transplants in their early work, which then paved the way for the first adult heart transplant in the United States at Stanford in 1968.

Since then, the Stanford team has developed many innovations and continues to advance new techniques in transplant surgery. To date, our medical teams have performed more than 1,200 heart transplants.

In 1981, the first successful heart-lung transplant was performed at Stanford Hospital by Dr. Bruce Reitz and his colleagues. This was made possible by the use of the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine, and by previous laboratory research performed at Stanford.

The team has been performing lung transplantation longer than anyone else and continues to make new advances.

At Stanford, more than 190 patients have received a heart-lung transplant, and over 200 patients have received either a single-lung or double-lung transplant.

Innovations, which have been introduced in the transplant field from Stanford, include:

The operative method for heart transplantation

The use of percutaneous, transvenous biopsy of the heart to detect rejection

The use of new immunosuppressive drugs, including cyclosporine, for treatment of rejection

The first successful heart-lung transplantation procedure

The first successful use of a mechanical device or LVAD (left ventricular assist device) as a bridge to heart transplantation

The first use of a living related donor for lung transplantation

New methods for preserving the lung prior to transplantation and for detecting and treating rejection

Heart transplant patients benefit from a cardiac transplant team consisting of highly experienced transplant surgeons, both pre-operative and post-operative transplant cardiologists, specialized social workers, and dedicated transplant nurse coordinators.

The lung transplant team comprises medical pulmonologists, surgeons, transplant nurse coordinators, specialized social workers, and intensive-care nurses experienced in both heart and lung transplantation.

Approximately 40 to 50 patients undergo heart transplantation each year at Stanford, whereas an additional 12 to 20 patients receive some type of lung transplant. The procedures are performed in patients from newborns to adults over 60 years of age.

Almost every type of end-stage heart disease has been treated, and the Stanford team remains a leader in introducing new concepts and treatments to improve outcomes for transplant patients.

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