UPMC Lung Transplant Expertise – The Care Worth Traveling For

If you've been diagnosed with lung disease, trust the experts from one of the country's most recognized and experienced lung care centers. The UPMC Lung Transplant Program provides care for a range of lung conditions. We offer support and treatment options at every stage of your disease — from diagnosis, to transplant, to getting you back to enjoying life with your family and loved ones.

Conditions We Treat

Our team at UPMC cares for patients diagnosed with common to complex lung conditions, including:

Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which scarring happens in the lungs. It makes the lungs less elastic and causes breathing problems. Lung transplantation is the only effective therapy to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and is considered in the management of most patients.

The UPMC Lung Transplantation Program is nationally renowned. Our experts have performed more than 1,400 lung transplants since the program’s inception.

At UPMC, we aim to provide comprehensive, personalized care for patients with COPD and emphysema. Through the UPMC Center for COPD and Emphysema, patients have access to advanced care and research trials, partnering with the University of Pittsburgh on cutting edge treatments, such as endobronchial valve therapy.

UPMC’s lung transplant team works collaboratively with hepatologists at the UPMC Center for Liver Care to provide a comprehensive pathway to patients with Alpha 1 anti-trypsin deficiency.

UPMC’s lung transplant team is one part of the largest multidisciplinary team of experts in the country making up the UPMC Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program. This team is dedicated to using the latest technology and research to provide treatments for a wide range of lung conditions with the support of transplant surgeons to provide a full complement of care pathways for the patient.

UPMC has a rich history in the treatment of scleroderma. Our experts have made significant contributions to understanding the epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features, and natural history of this disease.

Our lung specialists collaborate with members of the UPMC Arthritis and Autoimmunity Center, to help our patients manage the pulmonary complications of systemic sclerosis.

University of Pittsburgh Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Disease at UPMC is one of the largest centers in the world for management of the disease. Commonly affecting the lungs, our experts provide patients to be on the forefront of clinical trials to better understand and treat sarcoidosis.

Coal workers pneumoconiosis, also known as black lung disease, is an occupational lung disease that results from inhaling coal mining dust over time. The UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center provides diagnostic testing, treatment pathways, and resources for patients who have been exposed to coal dust throughout their careers and are now experiencing symptoms of pneumoconiosis.

UPMC’s lung transplant team partners with both pediatric and adult cystic fibrosis experts to develop care pathways for patients of any age.

The Antonio J. and Janet Palumbo Cystic Fibrosis Center (CF Center) at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh provides state-of-the-art care to patients and families with cystic fibrosis, education for health care professionals, and conducting clinical and basic research in cystic fibrosis.

Specialists at the UPMC Comprehensive Lung Center are specially trained to manage all adult disorders of the respiratory system, such as bronchiectasis. UPMC offers advanced techniques for diagnosis and provide leading edge treatments, while our research groups are international leaders in understanding the cause and potential cures for all types of lung disease.

Contact Us

For more information or to schedule an appointment, fill out the form below or call 412-648-6202.

The UPMC Difference

Lung disease is complex. The team at the UPMC Lung Transplant Program has extensive experience treating and managing conditions that other centers may not treat.

As pioneers in lung transplant, we offer advanced care for patients with severe lung disease and evaluate many high-risk patients for both single or double lung transplants and for those in need of re-transplantation or a multi-organ transplant.

UPMC offers second-opinion services for patients who are looking for additional options or were turned down for transplant at another center.
At UPMC, we do not have an age restriction for lung transplant referrals. Our experts have lung transplant experience with older adults and consider patients older than 70 on a case-by-case basis.
Since the inception of the UPMC Lung Transplant Program in 1982, our surgeons have performed more than 2,350 lung and heart-lung transplants. We are one of only a few lung transplant centers in the United States that has achieved this volume while maintaining outcomes consistent with national averages.
In 2013, UPMC performed the first “breathing” lung transplant on the East Coast using the OCS Perfusion system by TransMedics.

What to Expect

Starting the lung transplant journey can be overwhelming. Our team offers step-by-step support to help you and your care partner throughout the process.

Receiving a lifesaving lung transplant begins with a comprehensive lung transplant evaluation. This evaluation will help determine if a lung transplant is the best treatment option for you.

The evaluation will take approximately one week and will be conducted by our team of experts in Pittsburgh. It will include: