Emory University Hospital's Andrew J. McKelvey Lung Transplantation Center Marks Major Milestone with 100th Transplant

Emory University
Monday, 15 December 2003

"Lucky 100". These were the first words uttered by Li-Ching Brown after becoming Emory University Hospital's 100th lung transplant recipient.

Since the program's inception in 1993, Emory University Hospital's McKelvey Lung Transplantation Center has given second chances to families throughout Georgia. The state's only lung transplant program has averaged 10 transplants a year, but with the addition of a third transplant specialist, Seth Force, MD, those numbers are expected to grow. "It has taken us 10 years to do 100 lung transplants. Hopefully we can the next 100 in five years. I think it's a realistic goal," notes David Vega, MD, program director.

Brown suffered from pulmonary hypertension, one of the leading causes for lung transplantation. The hypertension resulted from an abnormal connection between her pulmonary arteries and aorta, meaning her lungs and pulmonary circulation were open to excessive amounts of blood flow.

When Mrs. Brown finally received the call in late October there was a donor match, she says she didn't think it was really happening. "It had been more than two years since I was first put on the list, and when the call came in I could hardly believe it. I was shaking all the way to the hospital."

Although her recovery time was extensive, including a four-week stay in the hospital's intensive care unit, Brown says waiting for the donor lung was the scariest part. "Sometimes it could become discouraging because the wait was so long, but I tried to keep my faith and I knew this day would arrive," she says.

Patients wait for a lung transplant on an average of 1 to 2 years, according to Vega. The length of time is increasing as more patients are being referred for lung transplantation, while the number of donors has remained relatively stable. There's somewhere around 1,000 lung transplants performed in the United States per year, while 4,000 are on a waiting list.

Brown knows first-hand how important is for more people to become a donor. "This is the one thing I am most thankful for this holiday season. This person who made the decision to donate their lungs is my hero," Brown says. "I would not have a new life without my donor."

Brown is eagerly looking forward to the holidays this year. She will finally be able to take pictures of her family, including her 15-year-old daughter and her husband, Eric. "In the past few years, I have had to walk around with my right hand on my oxygen and my left hand on my medication. I didn't even have the energy to take family photos. Now my hands are free, I'm free and I'm going to take lots and lots of pictures."

Emory's 100th lung transplant is a milestone for the program. "In the past couple of years, Emory has made a decision that it's going to push the lung transplant program to the next level. And that has been with the help of Dr. Clint Lawrence and Dr. David Vega, and a very large donation from the McKelvey Foundation. I think the fact we've reached 100 symbolizes the strong commitment Emory University has to the lung transplant program," states Force.

"Emory has made a concerted effort to make lung transplantation a priority and a lot of energy is being put into the program," says Vega. "We are a smaller program, but that means more individual attention is given by our physicians and surgeons. There's a lot of camaraderie that helps the patients benefit from the advances of medical therapy being offered at Emory."+

Lung transplants are needed when the lungs are damaged and unable to transfer oxygen and carbon dioxide to and away from cells. Damaged lungs can be caused by emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and sarcoidosis and can result in constant shortness of breath and fatigue. The leading cause of lung transplantation is emphysema, which accounts for approximately 50 percent of the transplants in the US.

Emphysema was the reason Augusta resident Bob Hudson needed a lung transplant in May, 1996. Since then, Hudson has used his time to help others going through the transplantation process.

Hudson, who retired after his transplant, is active with LifeLink, serves as a mentor and he has formed a support group for lung transplant recipients and those waiting for a transplant in the state of Georgia. "We really are like a second family, and the support we give each

It's success stories like Wright's that make the middle of the night calls and hard work worthwhile for Emory's transplant specialists. "With one operation, you can make a huge impact on someone's life, and also their family. The quality of life is improved dramatically, and even though it hard and stressful work, it's so rewarding that the trade off is positive," says Vega.

About The Andrew J. McKelvey Lung Transplantation Center

Emory's Andrew J. McKelvey Lung Transplantation Center, founded in June 2001, was made possible through a $20 million gift from the founder and CEO of TMP Worldwide, now Monster Worldwide, Inc., a leading provider of global recruitment solutions (including the Internet career portal Monster.com) and the world's largest yellow pages advertising agency. McKelvey's $20 million gift also funded the creation of the Augustus J. McKelvey Chair in Lung Transplantation Medicine, in honor of his late father, a general medical practitioner. E. Clinton Lawrence, Professor of Medicine and Medical Director of Lung Transplantation, is the first holder of the McKelvey Chair. Dr. Lawrence is also the Director of the McKelvey Center. The program's mission is to improve patient outcomes following lung transplantation and promote the development of novel medical therapies for complex lung disorders, especially pulmonary vascular and interstitial lung diseases.

For more information, or to contact Emory University, see their website at: whsc.emory.edu