UCSF Health Reaches Lung Transplant Milestone

The UCSF Lung Transplant Program has performed over 100 transplants in a year, making it one of a handful of medical centers in the nation to reach that milestone. The 116 cases – 113 lung transplants and three heart and lung transplants – represent a 20% increase from the previous year. In addition, the UCSF Lung Transplant Program is the only lung transplant program in the U.S. to achieve significantly better than expected post-transplant outcomes continuously for over 13 years, according to data from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients.

“Our success goes beyond numbers – it’s about maintaining exceptional quality,” said Jasleen Kukreja, MD, program and surgical director of the UCSF Lung Transplant Program. “Our lung transplantation program is the only high-volume program to achieve such exceptional outcomes, and it’s unmatched by any other medical center.”

Over the last 20 years, the median survival for UCSF patients who had undergone lung transplantation has climbed from 3.5 years to 10.5 years. In 2001, three-year survival for UCSF patients was 50%. In 2021, it reached 90%. Compared to other transplant programs in the U.S., UCSF outperforms these programs for both one-year and three-year patient survival rates. As of January 2024, the one-year patient survival rate for UCSF Health patients was 95% compared to a national average of 89% for transplant centers in the U.S. The three-year survival rate for UCSF patients was 87% versus the national average of 74%.

UCSF’s lung transplant program, which is the largest lung transplant program in the western U.S., was the first in Northern California to adopt several innovations that have increased the volume of lung transplants while improving patient outcomes. The program was an early adopter of an ex-vivo lung perfusion platform – TransMedics Organ Care System – to keep organs viable outside the body for extended periods of time and allow the transplant team to assess if organs are suitable for transplantation.

The program was also one of the first centers in the country to put new temperature-controlled devices into use for donor lung preservation, facilitating travel from longer distances to safely procure organs and improve the quality of preservation.

The lung transplant program has an active hepatitis C donor utilization program, expanding the donor pool to include hepatitis C-positive donors. Based on a 99% cure rate from these donors, nearly 100% of waitlisted lung transplant candidates have now consented to receive organs from such donors. This has led not only to an increase in number of transplants but also reduced waitlist mortality.

By participating in the United Network for Organ Sharing’s (UNOS) donation after circulatory death (DCD) initiative, the program increased its DCD donor organ pool from 2% to 9%. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, UCSF has also been able to expand the pool of transplant candidates to include patients who might previously have had poorer outcomes and a lower chance of survival.

“As a result of these initiatives, we have not only transplanted several patients who otherwise would have had a 1% chance of receiving a match but also reduced waitlist mortality by transplanting them faster,” said Kukreja.

“Over the last 20 years, we have innovated the long-term care of our patients by fostering a culture of continuous improvement, leveraging intradisciplinary care and utilizing new technologies, said Steve Hays, MD, medical director of the UCSF Lung Transplant Program.

“We believe this work has led to our patients having some of the longest post-transplant survival in the world.”

Each patient receives support from a comprehensive team that includes a transplant pulmonologist, transplant surgeon, transplant nurse coordinator, transplant social worker, case manager, anesthesiologist, nutritionist, psychiatrist, psychologist, pharmacist, respiratory therapist, physical therapist and nurses.

“High volume and excellent outcomes are the holy grail in lung transplantation, which historically has outcomes that lag behind all other solid organ transplants,” said Kukreja. “The singular focus and commitment of our team – dedicating ourselves to our lung transplant patients – allows us to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care throughout every single phase of the patient’s journey: pre-transplant, intraoperative, postoperative in the intensive care unit and patient floor, and for years of outpatient follow up.”
 

About UCSF Health: UCSF Health is recognized worldwide for its innovative patient care, reflecting the latest medical knowledge, advanced technologies and pioneering research. It includes the flagship UCSF Medical Center, which is a top-ranked specialty hospital, as well as UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals, with campuses in San Francisco and Oakland, Langley Porter Psychiatric Hospital and Clinics, UCSF Benioff Children’s Physicians and the UCSF Faculty Practice. These hospitals serve as the academic medical center of the University of California, San Francisco, which is world-renowned for its graduate-level health sciences education and biomedical research. UCSF Health has affiliations with hospitals and health organizations throughout the Bay Area. Visit www.ucsfhealth.org. Follow UCSF Health on Facebook or on Twitter.