Mayo Clinic's transplant center in Florida reaches 800th lung transplant milestone, on track for record-setting year

Mayo Clinic’s transplant center in Florida reaches 800th lung transplant milestone, on track for record-setting year

By
Tia R. Ford

April 21, 2023

The transplant center at Mayo Clinic in Florida has reached its 800^th lung transplant since the program's inception in 2001. This milestone is part of a record-setting quarter that has seen lung transplants nearly double the number completed at the same time last year.

"As one of the leading medical centers in the world, Mayo Clinic prides itself on delivering excellent care and having patient well-being at the center of its care model," says Maher Baz, M.D., division chair of Lung Failure and Transplantation at Mayo Clinic in Florida. "Reaching 800 lung transplants reflects how our dedicated multidisciplinary team has consistently lived up to the Mayo model for more than 20 years. This year, we have been transplanting at a faster pace with excellent results."

How did it happen

The milestone can be attributed to several factors, including outcomes from the Transforming Transplant initiative, aimed at creating new clinical options for patients with organ dysfunction and failure. The use of ex vivo lung perfusion has given the transplant center the ability to use lungs that previously may not have been usable. Additionally, donor pool expanding allows the transplant center to get organs from farther away. The team also credits the increased volume of transplants to the ability to treat patients who need multi-organ transplants, such as lung-heart. An increase in community education on the benefits of organ donation also has contributed to the growing number of transplants performed so far this year.

"On behalf of our program and our patients, I would like to express our gratitude to the donors and their families who are an invaluable part of this milestone and saving lives," says Dr. Baz.

The transplant center anticipates reaching a record-setting 60 to 70 lung transplants in 2023. Comparatively, 37 lung transplants were completed by year-end 2022. Nationwide, nearly 1,000 people are currently waiting for a lung transplant.