Lung Transplant Program
Contact Information
Lung Transplant Program
Massachusetts General Hospital
55 Fruit Street
Boston,
MA
02114
Phone: 800-876-5864
Near Public Transit
Accessible
Explore This Treatment
About the Program
Founded in 1990, the Lung Transplant Program at Massachusetts General Hospital was the first Medicare-approved lung transplant program in New England. Our major milestones include:
- Establishing New England’s first live donor lung transplant program in 1995
- Performing New England’s first living related lung donor transplant
We perform transplants from both living and deceased donors and maintain the region’s largest Living Donor Program.
A Personal Care Team for Every Patient
The primary goal of lung transplantation is to help patients live longer, better quality lives. At the Transplant Center, we bring together a personal care team of lung disease specialists to provide comprehensive treatment for every patient. This team meets regularly with patients and referring physicians and includes:
- Cardiologists
- Critical care specialists
- Endocrinologists
- Financial services representatives
- Immunologists
- Infectious disease specialists
- Nutritionists
- Pharmacists
- Physical therapists
- Psychiatrists
- Pulmonologists
- Social workers
- Thoracic surgeons
- Thoracic nurses
- Transplant coordinators
- Transplant nurses
Transplant Evaluation
The goal for every patient is to optimize his or her lifestyle and offer the best possible outcomes. All patients are carefully evaluated to see if they are candidates for transplant or if their condition can be managed through alternative interventions, including:
- Clinical investigations related to prescribed medications including corticosteroids and antibiotics
- Gene-therapy studies, which involve transplanting genetic material into the patient’s tissues rather than transplanting a whole or partial organ
- Non-transplant surgical therapies, such as lung volume reduction surgery, which involves removing portions of the damaged lung
- Pulmonary rehabilitation, which helps patients with lung conditions learn to improve their quality of life
The Lung Allocation Score System (LAS)
Unlike other organ transplantation programs, which apply a seniority method to determine a patient’s position on the organ donor list, the Lung Transplant Program utilizes a unique system based on patients’ transplant urgency. This mathematical model, called the lung allocation score system and used by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), ensures that patients who most need a lung transplant receive priority over those in better health.
Patient Care
Our dedicated team of transplantation management experts offers comprehensive treatment for patients who require transplantation due to a variety of conditions, including:
- Bronchiectasis: obstructive lung disease causing irreversible bronchial tree dilation
- Cystic fibrosis: inherited disease of the mucus and sweat producing glands
- Emphysema: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to a loss of lung tissue elasticity
- Pulmonary hypertension: high blood pressure in arteries that supply the lungs
- Pulmonary fibrosis: lung scarring that inhibits oxygenation of the blood
- Sarcoidosis: inflammation that produces nodules in organs including the lungs
- Various other interstitial lung diseases
Comprehensive, Coordinated Care
All lung transplant candidates work with a transplant coordinator, who lays the groundwork for their initial evaluation by gathering their medical information, previous test results and patient medical history, including prior hospitalizations.
The coordinator then manages the patient evaluation, which includes:
- A social worker’s appraisal
- An echocardiogram
- Assessment of the need for an ECMO device, when appropriate
- Blood work
- Chest X-rays
- Comprehensive patient education sessions
- Pulmonary functioning tests, including exercise studies
- Radiology
Pre-Transplant Care
Our patients’ care teams work with them and their local physician to address health care issues that might develop as they wait for transplant. We help our patients maintain the highest quality of life possible through the use of supplemental oxygen and prescribed medications.
We also provide a dedicated referral line for patients and referring physicians to be connected with an experienced access coordinator, a clinician who helps assess patient needs, coordinate appointments and begin the appropriate testing regimen. All calls will be returned within 24 hours.
Post-Transplant Care
Our commitment to our patients’ wellbeing extends to their postoperative needs and includes help coordinating their care following discharge. We are very involved in our patients’ physical recovery support them as they transition back to their regular lives following transplant.
Clinical Research and Trials
The Lung Transplant Program is a regional research center with an active clinical trials program in both lung transplantation and many of the diseases that cause the need for transplantation. Developing technologies include:
- Medical treatment: We are part of a multicenter trial of a new drug to treat pulmonary fibrosis
- Stem cell transplantation: We are studying stem cell transplantation as a way to replace airways and whole lungs and to improve our understanding of how airways heal in order to achieve better transplantation results
Our Team
The Mass General Lung Transplant team guides patients through every stage of care with a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, case managers, financial coordinators and other clinicians to help navigate the transplant process.
Award-winning Medical Care
Mass General is recognized as a leader in patient care, education and research, and ranks among the most prestigious medical institutions.
Traveling to Boston for Care
If you are visiting Boston, either as a patient or to visit a patient, these resources can help you plan your trip.
Contact Us
If you would like to request an appointment or refer a patient, please use the following contact information.