
Mr. Hsu was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a disease characterized by scarring of the lungs with no known cause. He underwent a lung transplant at UPMC and is back to enjoying time with his family.
Our patient stories profile those who have had lung transplants at UPMC. Although everyone’s care experience is unique, we hope that sharing these stories will help prospective patients and their families better understand these procedures and their potential impact on patients’ lives.
Here's how that care has had a positive impact in the lives of some of our patients.
Note: These patients' treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
In spring of 2010, Gary Cunningham was cutting the grass for the first time of the season when he began experiencing shortness of breath and became fatigued. Gary is the first patient at UPMC to receive a "breathing lung" transplant through the Transmedics ® Organ Care System TM (OCS) Lung Machine.
During a 32-year career in the coal mines of West Virginia, Clarence developed black lung disease, and his quality of life was severely diminished. He thought he was out of options, until he found the lung transplant team at UPMC. Now, Clarence works to inspire others who are suffering to seek a transplant.
At age 46, Jay, a cystic fibrosis patient, underwent lung transplant surgery in Seattle in 2008. In October of 2011, doctors in Seattle told Jay that he was in chronic rejection. After an evaluation at UPMC in Pittsburgh, Jay was placed on the lung transplant waiting list. In February of 2015, Jay underwent a second lung transplant and was cleared to return home in May.
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