UW News

June 25, 2009

UW Medical Center attains 500 for heart, lung transplants

Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering

UW leaders, surgeons, physicians, social workers and other staff celebrated two recent transplant patients Tuesday, June 9, at a press conference. It’s not every day we hold such an event, but these patients were special: Karla Cox, 55, and Nick Bear, 24, were recipients of the 500th lung and heart transplants at UW Medical Center.


Cox, who resides in the Tri-Cities, was too sick from October 2008 to March 2009 to even be considered for transplant and very near death, said Dr. Mike Mulligan, UW associate professor in cardiothoracic surgery. “It was difficult to find a match for her,” he said.


Ultimately, Cox made it back on to the transplant list. Mulligan and team performed the surgery on April 17, 2009. Cox acknowledged the donors. Her husband Dave said the family is “deeply appreciative to UW Medical Center.” He said he and his wife felt like they were part of the UW family once the transplant process began in April.


“It was a rollercoaster six-year ordeal for us,” he said. (Cox had originally been listed with UCLA for a number of years.)


Mulligan said the sky is now the limit for Cox’s future.


“There is no glass ceiling,” he said. “She’s on an upward trajectory. We don’t know where it will level off. But we know that it’s not about just getting Karla to survive. It’s getting Karla to thrive.”


Bear, an Everett resident, was also extremely ill prior to transplant. UW physicians in February 2009 installed an assistive device to help Bear make it to a possible transplant. The surgery took place May 8, 2009.


Bear said the assistive device helped, but beamed as he added “after transplant, it’s a lot different. I feel fantastic now.” Dr. Dan Fishbein, UW professor of medicine, Division of Cardiology and Transplant, said Bear and his family should be congratulated for dedication to getting him healthy and ready for the transplant.


Executive Director Stephen Zieniewicz said transplant services are one of the many clinical services that define UWMC as a world class medical center. “We are proud of UWMC’s health-care team achieving two special milestones — 500 heart transplants and 500 lung transplants,” he said. “UWMC places the patient and their family in the center of everything we do, which was evident at this press conference.”


Celebrating the 500th heart transplant, surgeons underscored the great outcomes patients are achieving at UW Medical Center.


“Patients we perform transplants on live longer,” said Dr. Gabriel Aldea, Bear’s surgeon and UW professor of surgery, cardiothoracic surgery. “Our statistics are superior to the national average.”


Medical leaders acknowledged the success of the program, by hailing all those involved — social workers, floor and ICU nurses, anesthesiologists and coordinators.


“Most of these transplants are done in the middle of the night or on weekends,” said Dr. Ed Verrier, UW professor and chief of the cardiothoracic surgery division. Those on the medical teams have families, and all make big sacrifices in order to provide this gift of life, he added.


Mulligan closed the press conference with a reminder to the public to register as an organ donor. “Every one of these recipients is somebody’s mother, or husband,” he said. “Celebrate with us, but realize we also need your help. Wait lists are growing, and we’re not able to keep up with the demand. Commit to donating your organs, and think about the people you’ll help.”


Visit LifeCenter Northwest at http://www.lcnw.org/ to learn more about the donation process and to read additional stories of hope. In Washington state, you may also become an organ donor when you receive or renew your driver’s license.