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Penn Surgeons Pioneered and Perfected Lung Transplantation
The Lung Transplant
program at Penn has performed
more than 500 procedures since its inception
in the early 1990's, and is currently among the
most active programs in the nation with a survival
rate for one month, one year and three years
consistently at or above the national average.
Penn is also one of few centers in the nation
performing multi-organ transplantation such
as lung/liver and heart/lung transplantation.
The lung transplant team includes cardiothoracic
surgeons, pulmonologists, nurse practitioners,
cardiologists, infectious disease specialists,
pharmacists, nutritionists, physical and respiratory
therapists, financial coordinators and social
workers.
Led by surgical director Alberto
Pochettino, MD and medical director Vivek Ahya, MD, Penn
surgeons have developed some of the latest minimally
invasive techniques and are training future surgeons
around the world. The benefits for patients undergoing
these minimally invasive procedures are a shorter
hospital stay, a smaller incision resulting in
less pain and scarring, and a quicker recovery.
Among the distinguished Penn surgical faculty
are individuals who performed the world's
first single- and double-lung transplants, and
developed the lung volume reduction procedure
to improve the breathing of patients with severe
emphysema.
*Based on Organ Procurement and Transplantation
Network data as of December 2006.
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