Temple University Hospital’s lung transplant program has the best 1-year survival outcomes of any program in the region, according to the latest data from the Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients (SRTR), which creates semi-annual performance reports of the nation's transplant system. Temple’s 1-year lung transplant survival rates also exceeded national averages.
The SRTR data also showed for the 1-year period from July 2020-June 2021, Temple performed 138 lung transplants, making it the number 1 volume program in the nation. Temple has proven to be a national leader, performing more lung transplants than any other program in the country over the past 7 years, according to SRTR accumulated data from January 2015-January 2022.
“Performing the nation’s highest number of lung transplants while also achieving superior outcomes speaks to the talent and dedication of our entire transplant team at Temple Health,” said Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE, President and CEO of Temple University Health System. “More importantly, it exemplifies our commitment to serving critically ill patients who are in need of highly skilled, complex care.”
The data also showed Temple has the shortest transplant waitlist times of any other center in the Delaware Valley region, in part due to its innovative approach to procuring donor lungs, such as performing breathing lung transplants using the TransMedics Organ Care System for Lung. The device allows the transplant team to accept donor lungs initially deemed unacceptable, affording more patients on the waitlist an opportunity to receive a life-saving organ.
The Temple Lung Center is one of the most active centers for pulmonary care in the nation, treating thousands of patients every year. The lung transplant program, which has established a reputation for securing transplantation for even the most complex patients, includes internationally renowned pulmonologist Dr. Gerard Criner, transplant surgeons Drs. Yoshiya Toyoda and Norihisa Shigemura, and pulmonologist Dr. Francis Cordova.
Temple’s Lung Transplantation Program and the nationally recognized Temple Lung Center are comprised of physicians, nurses, therapists, pharmacists, social workers, laboratory technicians and administrative and support personnel who work around the clock to provide cutting edge medical and surgical care to patients with complex and advanced lung disorders.
“The combined talents and accomplishments of Temple Lung Center and the Lung Transplant Team embody Temple’s ongoing commitment to building the best pulmonary program in the nation,” Young said.