As a lung transplant patient at UF Health, you can expect innovative, effective, and compassionate care from a program that sets a national standard for its ability to provide unmatched care in all phases of lung transplantation.
UF Health - A leader in organ transplantation
UF Health is the national leader for liver, kidney and lung transplantation, based on data published by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.
Since the program’s beginnings in 1994, our experts have performed more than 1,100 lung and multi-organ transplants, including heart-lung, lung-liver and lung-kidney transplantations. A pioneer in Florida, the UF Health Lung Transplant Program has been the source of several transplant milestones, including:
First adult and pediatric heart-lung transplants
First re-transplant (second lung transplant in the same patient)
First transplant for ventilator-dependent patients
First transplant for COVID-19-associated respiratory failure
We continue to lead with medical expertise and access to advanced technologies, which allow us to offer world-class, multidisciplinary care. When lung transplantation is considered to be the best solution, we work with patients and their families along each step of the transplant process — from determining alternative treatment options to devising an individualized care plan.
Our commitment is reflected in outstanding outcomes. For the past several years, the UF Health Lung Transplant Program has consistently ranked in the top 10 nationwide on various quality metrics by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, or SRTR. The most recent data released in July 2024 placed us No. 1 in three-year patient survival and No. 1 in getting patients transplanted faster among 74 lung transplant programs in the country.
What to expect
Our Patient Education section gives you information about the lung transplant process, from being evaluated as a candidate, what to expect during the procedure, and aftercare.
We offer lung transplantation services for children and adults.
Our services include:
Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP): This procedure reconditions donor lungs initially considered not ideal for transplant. Therefore, EVLP expands the pool of donor lungs, allowing more lives to be saved and shortening the length of time you may have to wait for a lung.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO): As a bridge to or recovery after transplant, our physicians are highly experienced with using the ECMO device to take over the lungs’ responsibility of breathing while awaiting a donor lung or for the recently transplanted lung to recover.
Lung transplant procedure
You can expect to be in the hospital for 14-21 days following a lung transplantation if all goes well with you and the donated lung is starting to function. You will take immunosuppressant medications for life to prevent the risk of rejection and to make it more likely that your donated lung functions properly. This will decrease the risk of lung failure and increase your lung function. You will focus on recovery and learning about your new organ. It may take three to six months to fully recover after receiving your new transplanted lung. However, age and medical history may prolong your lung recovery
Hear from our lung transplant patients
There’s a handful of people that I feel like were really fighting for me, like sincerely fighting for me, and it’s staff and it’s people who never knew me.
Today, more than 5,000 patients listed at Florida transplant centers await life saving organ transplants. You have the power to Donate Life. Sign up to become an organ donor!
The scientists hope the findings will become a way to fight chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a lung disorder that causes poor air flow and long-term breathing problems.
Those who were a daily smoker as a child were 31 percent more likely to die from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, a serious lung disease that obstructs airflow.
Community and Patient Programs: Lung transplant
Our community and patient programs provide great value to patients, families and loved ones. People can find
support, educational materials, expert consultants and more. In most instances, these programs are offered free of
charge.
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