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Lung transplant ‘effective treatment option’ for bronchopulmonary dysplasia

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By Isabella Hornick

Patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia who received a lung transplant showed survival rates comparable to those of transplant recipients with other lung diseases, according to results published inCHEST.

“Patients with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) have similar short- and long-term survival outcomes compared with patients undergoing lung transplant for other indications,” Alia Dani, MD, MPH, a postdoctoral research fellow in the department of cardiothoracic surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center at the time of the study and now a pediatric resident at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues wrote. Read the article in Healio.

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Finding my purpose in this empty nest after my lung transplant

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Who am I now if I’m no longer a nurse, active mom, or needy CF patient?

By Jennifer Bleecher

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines identity as “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.” Having a genetic, progressive, and life-shortening disease such as cystic fibrosis (CF) can consume a large part of a person’s physical, mental, and emotional state. It can feel that the disease becomes your identity.

CF was a fatal disease in 1971, when I was born. The average life expectancy at the time was 12. My symptoms were mild when I was young, so my mom decided not to share that prognosis with me. Back then, pancreatic enzymes and antibiotics were the only medications available to treat CF. The internet wasn’t born yet, so I had limited access to information about my disease. Read the article in Cystic Fibrosis News Today.

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Q&A: Shaping the future of lung transplantation with technology

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By Isabella Hornick
By Lisa Anderson, PhD

In the transplantation world, technology has played a major role in advancing the way donor organs are transported and preserved.

One advancement in lung transplant preservation that recently received FDA 510(k) clearance is the BAROguard system (Paragonix Technologies), which is designed to keep lungs at optimal temperatures and inflation pressures during transport, according to a press release. Read the full story in Healio.

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Madison bagpiper playing again after double lung transplant

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By Abigail Leavins

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – A Madison man can pick up his bagpipes again thanks to a new set of lungs.

Four years ago, Dave Furumoto learned he suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Upon learning the news, the former UW professor fretted about whether he would ever play the traditional Scottish instrument ever again.

Dependent on oxygen tanks to survive, Furumoto made the decision in 2021, around the time of his retirement, to go ahead with a double lung transplant at UW Health. Now, with the surgery a couple of years in the rearview mirror, he is looking forward to renewing his passion for the bagpipes and enjoying traveling again. Check out the full story on WMTV NBC 15.

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‘Truth in transplant’: Gratitude and suffering coexist after ‘the miracle’

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Quality of life after lung transplant shouldn’t be a taboo topic

By Christie Patient

Amy Silverstein’s second memoir, “My Glory Was I Had Such Friends” (2017), left a lasting impression on me. It wasn’t just because of the way Silverstein’s devoted friends attended to her while she awaited a second heart transplant, or even how that story mirrored my mom’s lung transplant story. It was the impact of one thing that many transplant stories lack: the whole, and sometimes ugly, truth. Read the complete article in Pulmonary Fibrosis News.

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A matter of priorities: saving lung transplant patients comes down to re-ordering the waitlist, Cleveland Clinic study finds

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By Gretchen Cuda Kroen

CLEVELAND, Ohio — For patients awaiting a lung transplant, getting a new set of lungs can often mean the difference between life and death. But donor lungs, like all donated human organs, are in short supply, and getting a transplant is largely dependent on the length of the waiting list.

And as it turns out, the length of time a patient waits matters a lot. Read the full article in Cleveland.com.

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Rebecca Osborn, MD, on Infectious Complications of Lung Transplant for COVID-19

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– CALI patients see encouraging 1-year survival, but MDRO infections are prevalent

By Kristin Jenkins

Among patients with COVID-19-associated lung injury (CALI), 45% develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pulmonary fibrosis. Most cannot be weaned from mechanical ventilation or extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and lung transplantation remains one of the only treatment options.

But there was encouraging data from a retrospective case control cohort study.
Read the full article in MedPage Today.

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Cleveland Clinic Researchers Develop New Model for Prioritizing Lung Transplant Candidates

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Study shows new approach could more accurately reflect which patients urgently need a transplant and reduce deaths

A team from Cleveland Clinic has developed a new model for prioritizing patients waiting for a lung transplant, aimed at improving outcomes and reducing deaths among those in need of donor lungs. The new method offers an improved strategy for organ allocation by taking into account how the time a patient has spent on the waiting list could impact the severity of their disease and the urgency of their need for a transplant.

The results of a study looking at this new method were published today in The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Read more from the Cleveland Clinic.

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VUMC performs novel reoperative lung and kidney transplant

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By Matt Batcheldor

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has performed its first combined reoperative lung and kidney transplant.

Nicole Hunter, 36, of Searcy, Arkansas, received the transplant, which took place over 17 hours and involved dozens of specialists, including transplant teams for both organs. Her lung transplant was performed by Matthew Bacchetta, MD, MBA, professor of Surgery; and Chetan Pasrija, MD, assistant professor of Cardiac Surgery. Read the full article in the VUMC Reporter.

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