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The Department of Transplantation ServicesLung and Heart-Lung Transplantation |
The UCLA transplant programs have maintained a remarkably cohesive surgical, medical and support staff, which forms an experienced and committed team to face the challenges of organ transplantation. Physicians in many subspecialties act as consultants to the transplant programs, and their breadth of experience enhances the clinical success of all of the transplant programs at UCLA.
Lung transplantation has emerged as an effective treatment for end-stage lung disease. The first lung transplant at UCLA was performed in 1988. Dr. Abbas Ardehali, associate professor of surgery in the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, directs the program along with Dr. David Ross, who specializes in pulmonary medicine. Since the inception of the program, more than 230 patients have undergone lung transplantation at UCLA. Recent advances in preservation methods, surgical techniques, and immunosuppressive drugs have steadily improved the results of lung transplantation. Moreover, improvements in post-transplant care have significantly impacted the quality of life in lung transplant recipients.
The lung transplant team at UCLA consists of transplant surgeons, pulmonologists, nurse coordinators, cardiologists, infectious disease specialists, dieticians, social workers, and other specialists as needed. They work as a team to optimize the pre and post transplant care of lung transplant patients.
The lung transplant program at UCLA provides comprehensive care and formulates an individualized strategy to improve the quality of life for patients with end-stage lung disease. The multi-disciplinary and innovative nature of the program has yielded substantial improvement in patient survival and their quality of life. The UCLA lung transplant program is Medicare certified.
The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) provides a toll-free patient services lines to help transplant candidates, recipients, and family members understand organ allocation practices and transplantation data. You may also call this number to discuss problems you may be experiencing with your transplant center or the transplantation system in general. The toll-free patient services line number is 1-888-894-6361.
| Director | Specialty |
|---|---|
| Ardehali, Abbas MD | Thoracic Surgery; Transplant Surgery |
Medical Director |
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| Ross, David MD | Pulmonary Disease |
Physician |
|
| Belperio, John MD | Critical Care Medicine; Pulmonary Disease |
| Hunter, Curtis MD | Thoracic Surgery; Transplant Surgery |
| Lynch, Joseph MD | Pulmonary Disease |
| Saggar, Rajan MD | Pulmonary Disease; Critical Care Medicine |
| Weigt, Stephen MD | Pulmonary Disease; Internal Medicine |
Pulmonary Disease
Surgery
Thoracic Surgery
Body System Locations
Blood, Heart and Circulation
Lungs and Breathing
