Lung Transplant Program

Programs and Services

Lung Transplant Program

Froedtert Hospital is recognized in a total of 12 specialty areas in U.S. News & World Report’s 2011-12 “Best Hospitals” list.

Froedtert Hospital was regionally recognized for eight medical specialties, including pulmonology.

The Lung Transplant Program at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin offers exceptional, high-quality care with an emphasis on personalized attention and long-term survival. Our highly experienced, multidisciplinary team designs comprehensive treatment plans to meet each patient’s needs. We care for the whole patient and understand that the treatment you receive before and after your transplant plays a vital role in your long-term well-being.

We treat lung disease with a wide array of treatment options, including lung transplant. As an academic medical center, we offer the latest treatments and can help you consider all of the options open to you. We assess each patient to determine if a transplant might be necessary or if other courses of treatment are more suitable. Even if you’ve been told a lung transplant is your only option, we can offer an advanced opinion on whether you might benefit from other treatment approaches.

FAQ

See our FAQ for more information about our program.

Multidisciplinary Approach
and Continuity of Care

The pulmonary and critical care physicians at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin have broad experience in the evaluation and treatment of patients with advanced lung disease, and they remain involved after a patient’s transplant. In fact, more than a dozen pulmonary and critical care physicians are on our main campus. Many of our physicians have been with the program since its inception in 1991, offering solid experience and exceptional continuity of care.

We are also committed to offering personalized care and tailoring cutting-edge treatment to meet each patient’s needs. We were the first center in the state to use a small, highly portable heart-lung machine to support a patient’s blood circulation and/or lung function outside the body for several hours. This innovative equipment increases flexibility and safety while patients are being transported to our hospital for a lung transplant. Its remarkable portability also allows patients to walk around and begin rehabilitation while on heart and lung support.

Careful Evaluation for All Patients

Our specialized team treats and evaluates advanced lung disease. We know that not every patient will need a transplant, and some may not be eligible.

Each patient needs to be carefully evaluated and assessed before any treatment decisions can be made. We’re pleased to perform those assessments for patients with questions about their course of treatment. Because our program is part of an academic medical center, we are committed to offering a broad spectrum of options for treating advanced lung disease and to offering careful evaluation and comprehensive care.

At Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin, we perform single and double lung transplants, with double lung transplants accounting for most of our cases. In situations where a single lung transplant may be adequate, a double lung transplant may still be done because of the better survival rates generally found with double lung transplants.

Lung Volume Reduction

In addition to transplants, we perform the entire range of lung surgeries, including lung volume reduction. Originally developed as a bridge to lung transplantation, lung volume reduction has itself become a successful treatment for select patients with emphysema. This procedure removes certain damaged portions of the patient’s lung, helping the lung become more efficient. It can significantly improve the patient’s health and reduce feelings of breathlessness. For some patients, lung volume reduction surgery can be done instead of a lung transplant.