UCSF marks a milestone with 500th transplant in heart and lung program

UCSF marked a milestone this week with the 500th procedure in its Thoracic Transplant Program, which specializes in transplantation of the heart and lung.

“We’re glad to reach this significant point in our program because it means that a great number of patients are receiving improvements to their health that could not otherwise be achieved without an organ transplant,” said Charles Hoopes, MD, director of Cardiopulmonary Transplantation at UCSF since 2002. “UCSF has a highly experienced transplant support team and is dedicated to research focused on continued improvement in patient survival and outcomes for transplanted organs."

Patients in the program have undergone either a heart or lung transplant or both.

According to UCSF clinical specialists, transplant is the best treatment for patients with severe, end-stage disease where no effective medical or nontransplant surgical treatments are available.

Conditions that damage the heart to the point where a transplant is the best chance for improved health include congenital heart disease, coronary artery disease, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and valvular heart disease. Severe diseases of the lung that can lead to transplant include emphysema, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and sarcoidosis, an inflammation that produces tiny lumps in the lungs.

In January, new data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients showed that UCSF exceeded national averages for expected survival rates of both heart and lung transplant patients. Known for tackling complex transplant surgeries, UCSF was the only hospital among the U.S. News & World Report top 18 hospitals that exceeded the national averages in both heart and lung transplant programs (www.ustransplant.org).

Research is making it possible for more patients with uncommon disease types to receive transplants.