SAN ANTONIO – It was a big day for University Health when a special group of lung transplant survivors came together Friday to mark the hospital's 800th lung transplant, but it was also an opportunity to educate the public about early treatment and spotting symptoms to avoid the need for a transplant.
“This is really a treatment that's only used in the end stages of lung disease,” explained Dr. Holly Keat, medical director of the lung transplant program at University Health Transplant Institute, “We try to do everything we can to prevent patients from needing a lung transplant.”
Among the transplant survivors at Friday's ceremony was Karen Reeves, 70, who received a double lung transplant in May 2008.
“That's my great-nephew,” she said, pointing to a photo of herself holding a baby boy. “Without that transplant, I would never have met him. He would never have known Aunt Karen. He'll get to know me.”
Karen considers herself lucky to have survived this long since her transplant: “I say, 'The devil doesn't want me and God doesn't accept me yet,'” she says with a smile, 16 years after her transplant at University Hospital.
“The average survival time after a lung transplant is about six years,” Dr. Keyt explained, “and much research is needed to extend that even further until it is on par with heart, liver and kidney transplants.”
Dr. Keitt is not only the medical director of the lung transplant program, but also one of Karen’s pulmonologists.
“Well, Karen's a great patient,” she said. “She follows all the treatments and attends all her appointments. We love taking care of her and sometimes, if we're lucky, we find a suitable donor.”
Friday's ceremony also featured the faces of many other patients who have found the right match over the years, some of whom were featured in photos on a screen, while others were there in person to commemorate this milestone for University Health.
“Today we are here to celebrate our 800th lung transplant,” Dr. Keyt said. “We have been performing lung transplants since 1987. We were the hospital that performed the first single lung transplant for pulmonary hypertension and were one of the first programs in the country to perform lung transplants.”
The need for lung transplants has become a major issue during the pandemic. Four years ago, 39-year-old José Sosa First COVID-19-related double lung transplant He is currently hospitalized at University Hospital of South Texas and is recovering, according to the University Health Department.
“In fact, during this time, about 10% of lung transplants were done because of COVID-19,” said Dr. Keyt, who preaches early detection and early treatment to avoid transplants altogether. “Lung disease is somewhat insidious. People may not realize it, or they may think they're just a little bit out of shape, or they're not exercising as much, but in reality, they're starting to have more and more difficulty breathing, and they need to tell their doctor.”
Dr. Keyt explained that COPD, cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension are some of the problems that can ultimately lead to a lung transplant. Symptoms to look out for include shortness of breath during normal activities.
“If you mow your lawn every year, and then suddenly this summer you find it's a lot harder to do than it was last year,” she says, “or you have a dry cough after meals or at night that keeps you up at night and won't go away, these are reasons to talk to your doctor and request a full lung evaluation, including pulmonary function tests and sometimes imaging.”
Karen Reeves had COPD and had been able to control her symptoms with respiratory medication for several years before her transplant. But then, “the bacteria got into my lungs, and I don't know how that happened,” she said. The thought of a double lung transplant scared her: “Would I die from the surgery? But at the same time, I knew I wouldn't survive without my lungs.”
The first year of her recovery after the transplant was difficult for her, requiring a total of six hospitalizations. “Going into surgery, you want to have a good attitude and be as healthy as possible,” she explained.
Dr. Keyt said the experience is normal for most patients. “It really takes a year to fully recover from a transplant,” he agreed. “Being a lung transplant patient is tough.”
Sixteen years later, Karen is still following her doctor's advice: “Enjoy life. Don't sit on the couch. You didn't come into this to sit on the couch,” she says. “Have fun. I did and I still have fun.”
