肺移植授予新的生命租约

您什么时候面对死亡率的？我们大多数人可能不会意识到直到我们成年时期才有有限的生活。对于患有囊性纤维化的儿童，一种主要影响肺部的慢性且经常致命的遗传疾病，知道您可能不会活着看成年是一种严厉的生活。

“I grew up being told my life expectancy was 18,” George Will, now 26, explained. “As new treatments came out, I was able to control the condition pretty well. I was lucky.”

但是，随着他的肺部开始失败，威尔的运气似乎在2014年耗尽。

幸运的是，他在艰难的时刻在正确的位置。在美国，只有不到4％的医院有一个移植计划，而不到3％的医院有一个以上的移植计划。横幅 - 大学医学中心在Phoenixand图森占3％，肺移植是姊妹设施促进的主要移植计划之一。肺移植计划看到，像Will这样的青少年和年轻人的患者人群非常多样化，到患有慢性阻塞性肺部疾病（COPD）的老年人。

肺移植以挽救生命

威尔的医生派他去看医学博士Rajeev Saggar，这是一名专门研究肺病学的内科医师，该医生位于班纳 - 大学医学中心凤凰城，该医学中心凤凰城提供移植前护理和测试，对凤凰区地区患者等待肺部移植。

“我几次与他见面，那是我们开始谈论移植选项的时候。我不想进行移植，但是萨格加博士要求我给他和班纳的移植团队 - 图森大学医学中心一个机会。”威尔说。

There, the team headed by Scott Lick, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon, met with Will and began testing in August 2015 to see if he was eligible for transplant.

他说：“我的协调员使我对他们和程序有100％的信心。”

洛克博士指出，由于他的整体健康和年龄，威尔是手术的好候选人。

“Lung transplant is now a viable option for those born with cystic fibrosis," he said. “It’s absolutely inspiring to see the courage with which they live their lives and humbling to be able to give them a second chance through transplant.”

But eligibility is only the beginning. Donor lungs need to be available, and patients are put on the United Network for Organ Sharing’s national transplant registry to begin the sometimes very long wait for an organ. Will was put on the list in October and within three weeks he received the call. Lungs were waiting for him in Tucson.

“我对一切的发生速度感到困惑，”会记得。他被赶到图森（Tucson），当时25岁的男孩成功进行了双肺移植。

恢复之路

Will spent just two-and-a-half weeks in the hospital following surgery, marking the start of a remarkable recovery.

他说：“第一天我拿出通风管，然后在第三天走路。”“我为何如此快速康复感到困惑。他们说这是因为我是一个坚强的人。”

“I was already walking between one and two miles a day, which is a lot more than what patients do in rehab,” he explained. “In a lot of ways, I skipped some parts of the normal rehab process.”

“移植后随访护理至关重要,”Dr。Lick explained. “Will’s overall health was certainly in his favor, however, we like our patients to stay close by so they get optimal care immediately following a transplant procedure.”

在图森（Tucson）仅29天之后，威尔（Will）回到了圣坦谷（San Tan Valley）的家中。

从移植中恢复有时可能会具有挑战性，因为器官拒绝始终是一种可能性。在七个月的标记处，将经历肺功能的下降。但是，移植小组立即做出了反应，并调整了他的药物和治疗方法以恢复其肺功能。

移植后的生活

Today, Will’s taking things day by day, enjoying what he calls his second chance and experiencing life like never before. From living with a roommate, to attending church and taking part in community events – it’s a whole new life for him.

威尔回忆说：“在移植之前，我太累了。”“我准备放弃……只是去。我欠[团队]我的一生。”

自2016年4月成立以来，两个横幅的肺移植计划 - 迄今为止，大学医学中心进行了17次移植。

The comprehensive transplant program at the two Banner – University Medical Centers provide liver, kidney, kidney living donor, pancreas, heart, and lung procedures and serve Arizona and surrounding states. In 2016, more than 400 transplants were performed – 252 in Phoenix and 151 in Tucson.

学习更多关于肺部疾病和各种可用的治疗选择在bannerhealth.com上。