Our Services

Who We Treat

UPMC lung and heart-lung transplant specialists care for people with life-threatening lung diseases, including pulmonary parenchymal or vascular disease that significantly limits life activities despite previous surgical and medical therapy.

These specialists also carry out heart-lung-liver and other combined organ transplants including the lungs.

Specific diseases treatable by transplantation therapy include:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Alpha 1 Anti-Trypsin Deficiency
• Primary pulmonary hypertension (unknown cause)
• Bronchiectasis
• Emphysema
• Histiocytosis
• Goodpasture's syndrome
• Hemosiderosis
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Secondary pulmonary hypertension (caused by other lung or heart disease)
• Sarcoidosis

The Transplant Process: Review and Evaluation

What happens after you've been referred to UPMC's Lung Transplantation Program?

Patient Information Review

After the UPMC lung transplant team receives your medical records and information listed on the transplant referral checklist:

1. A pretransplant nurse coordinator will collect your medical history, radiology studies, recent blood work, and current physical findings.
2. The lung transplant and hepatology teams will review the information to determine if a transplant evaluation is appropriate.
3. If a transplant evaluation is appropriate, we will obtain insurance authorization and contact you to schedule the evaluation.

Transplant Evaluation

The UPMC Lung Transplantation Program works closely with the UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center to provide exceptional care along the entire spectrum of life-threatening lung diseases. This includes comprehensive evaluations for transplantation.

Evaluations include diagnostic testing and consultations with:

• Transplant surgeons
• Hepatologists
• Transplant coordinators
• Psychologists
• Social workers
• Financial coordinators
• Nutritionists
• Other specialists, as needed

After the Evaluation: Selecting Transplant Candidates

A multidisciplinary team reviews each patient’s case at a selection meeting and makes decisions regarding approval of lung transplant candidates. We will notify you of our decision approximately one week after the evaluation.

For those patients not approved for lung transplantation, our transplant team can refer them to the UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center, where our expert lung specialists can provide medical therapy and additional treatment options.