Antarya
Akdeniz University is recognized as the institution performing the widest variety of organ transplants in the world, and is preparing to add lung transplants to medical outcomes.
President Özlenen Özkan emphasized that when it comes to organ transplants at Türkiye, Akdeniz University has long been the most important institution supported by 50 years of experience.
“Organ transplantation is a very complicated effort,” explained Özkan. “It's not enough for a hospital to assert its expertise by successfully completing one operation. What's important is the long-standing knowledge of dealing with a wide range of cases and severe complications. This field also requires not only surgical skills, but long-term patient care, follow-up and complication management.
To date, lung transplantation was the only procedure not performed at universities. Özkan said they had been planning the steps for years, but he refrained until he had secured the necessary technical infrastructure, intensive care facilities and interdisciplinary teams.
“We've now finished preparing. The licensing process is almost finalized and will soon be Türkiye's third accreditation centre for lung transplantation,” she said.
This development has important implications not only for Akdeniz University, but also for the southwestern city of Antalya and its surrounding areas.
Previously, patients in need of lung transplants had to move to other cities in the face of long rehabilitation periods away from home and family.
“This was both financially and emotionally exhausting,” Özkan pointed out.
Emphasizing the challenges inherent in lung transplantation, she added: “Unlike the heart, kidneys and liver, the lungs are constantly in contact with the external environment and are extremely vulnerable to infection. Therefore, postoperative infection control, intensive care and rehabilitation are important.”
“This is why lung transplants cannot and should not be performed anywhere. For us, success is not just numbers, but ensuring a long, healthy life for our patients.”
Akdeniz University has long been a pioneer in organ transplantation. Excellent for live donor surgery with amazing success rates along with cornea, kidney, heart, pancreas and liver transplants.
The records include groundbreaking steps, including the first double arm transplant of Türkiye in 2010, the world's first uterine transplant from a deceased donor in 2011, and the first Türkiye in 2012.
