GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Richard DeVos Heart and Lung Transplant Program completed its 300th transplant in December.
Dr. Edward Murphy, Corewell Health West Endowed Chair for the Richard DeVos Lung Transplant Program, led the surgical team in this milestone transplant. He said the 300th patient is a 66-year-old man from Cheboygan, Michigan with a longstanding history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who began developing more significant symptoms about 4 years ago. Dr. Murphy reports the patient is off of supplemental oxygen and is expected to make a full recovery.
The Heart and Lung Transplant Program completed its first lung transplant in 2013 and is one of three programs in Michigan offering heart and lung transplantation for adult patients facing serious end-stage heart and lung failure. There are currently 1,500 people on the lung transplant waitlist nationwide.
Dr. Murphy said the program has seen continual growth, now completing on average 40-50 lung transplants annually. It is the busiest lung transplant program in the state.
He added, “because of its highly skilled team, the Corewell Health West program often accepts candidates that other centers might turn away. This includes older patients and those with other medical conditions that increase risk, such as coronary artery disease, previous chest surgery or the need for advanced life support.”
Dr. Murphy said the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR), lists Corewell Health West’s adult lung transplant one-year patient survival as the best in the nation.
Dr. Murphy had a message for people who have not yet become organ donors, “Organ donation saves lives – plain and simple.”
In fact, one person can save and improve the lives of 75 other people through organ and tissue donation. More than 100,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant nationally, and a new person is added to the waiting list every 10 minutes. It is very simple to become a donor. You can do it when renewing your driver’s license or just join online at the Michigan Organ Donor Registry: https://www.michigan.gov/sos/faqs/resources/michigan-organ-donor-registry
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