Cleveland Clinic Lung Transplant Program
Sets World Record

On October 13, 2009, the Cleveland Clinic Lung Transplant Program was recognized for breaking the world record for the most number of lung transplants performed by a hospital in a single year.  To date, the organization has performed 132 transplants.  The previous annual record in lung transplants was 128 in 2007.  At current pace, the Lung Transplant Team expects to reach more than 160 lung transplants by the end of this year.

Cleveland Clinic's Lung Transplantation and Heart-Lung Transplantation Program is a multidisciplinary collaboration which includes transplant surgeons, pulmonologists, infectious disease specialists, pharmacologists, nurses, social workers, physical therapists and transplant coordinators.  Since 2006, the annual volume of Cleveland Clinic's Lung Transplantation and Heart-Lung Transplantation Program has more than doubled, from 64 transplants in 2006 to 132 through less than 10 months of 2009.

As the lung transplant program has expanded, wait times are still well below the national average.  According to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, 33.7% of Cleveland Clinic patients received a new lung within 30 days of being placed on the waiting list, compared with 8.4% nationally.  Within one year, 90.3% of Cleveland Clinic patients receive a transplant, compared to 40.9% nationally.

According to Marie Budev, DO, MPH, Medical Director for the program:  "What we are most proud of is the fact that our patients have shorter waiting times here than at other centers, not the number of transplants that we have performed.  We have had many excellent outcomes in treating a multitude of high-risk cases.  But the amount of hours that our team has selflessly given to put the needs of our patients first is immeasurable."

Cleveland Clinic specializes in high risk transplant candidates, including patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), emphysema, fibrotic lung disease and cystic fibrosis/bronchiectasis.  Even with this high risk population, Cleveland Clinic outcomes continue to be among the best in the country.