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Introduction
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The UNC Lung Transplant Program is one of the oldest lung transplant programs in the country. Over
the last 15 years, the UNC Transplant Program has performed over 200 lung transplant operations. The UNC program is open to patients with all types of severe lung disease, thought it has had a strong interest in cystic fibrosis, having performed almost 160 double lung transplantations
for this disease making it one of the largest CF transplant programs in the
world. The UNC program has performed lung transplantations
for many of the common respiratory disorders including idiopathic pulmonary
fibrosis, emphysema, bronchiectasis, pulmonary hypertension, and
alpha1-antitypsin deficiency.
The UNC Transplant Program follows the international guidelines
for selection of lung transplant candidates that has been promulgated
by the American Society of Transplant physicians, the American
Thoracic Society, the European Respiratory Society, and the International
Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. In brief, patients
with endstage lung disease that is not responsive to medical therapies
qualify for lung transplantation if their age is less than 65,
they have no other serious non-pulmonary diseases, or active infections (for
example HIV, hepatitis), and/or are strong enough to undergo a
long operation and convalescence. In addition, new listing criteria recently set forth by a national UNOS committee have been established at UNC as of May 2005. (The "Lung Allocation Score")
The UNC Lung Transplant Program has considerable depth in clinical,
educational, and clinical and basic science research in the
area of transplantation. Over 30 manuscripts and many book chapters
have been written by UNC surgeons and physicians about topics such as operative techniques,
post-transplant infections, post-transplant lymphoma, ischemic
reperfusion injury, lung preservation, post-transplant osteoporosis,
and chronic graft rejection. Due to these academic endeavors,
UNC transplant surgeons and physicians have made numerous presentations at
national and international medical conferences. The UNC program
has emphasized research endeavors as a compliment to excellent,
comprehensive, clinical care. Research programs are highly likely
to improve outcomes of lung transplant patients in the near
and distant future. In addition, research programs allow patients
access to new information and medications that may improve their
likelihood of a successful lung transplant.
The transplant clinic for new patients and follow up appointments takes place Friday mornings on the 4th Floor in the Main Hospital.
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Patient Support
Group
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The Lung Transplant Support Group meets every other Wednesday
night at 5:45 PM. Doctors and other allied health
people often give talks at the support meetings on relevant lung
transplant topics.
Contact the social worker at 919-966-6341 if
you would like to participate.
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Lung Transplant
People
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Drs. Peadar Noone, Medical Director, Isabel Neuringer, Co-Medical Director, (pulmonary) and Michael Mill (cardiothoracic surgery) lead the Lung Transplant Program. They are joined by other highly skilled and experienced
lung transplant pulmonologists James Yankaskas and Raymond Coakley and transplant surgeons (Drs. Brett Sheridan, Tom Egan and Craig Selzman). Dr. William Funkhouser (lung transplant pathologist)
provides expertise in interpreting lung biopsy specimens from
transplant recipients, and Dr. Scott
Randell provides leadership in our basic science research
efforts in the area of transplant rejection and immunology.
Rounding out the team are lung transplant coordinators (Ken Davis and Becky Cicale), social
workers, psychologists, and dedicated members from physical
therapy, respiratory therapy, and financial services.
| Name |
email |
homepage |
phone |
| Dr. Eileen Burker |
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| Laurie McDonald, LCSW |
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919-966-6341 |
| Dr. Raymond Coakley |
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| Dr. Tom Egan |
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| Dr. William Funkhouser |
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| Dr. Isabell Neuringer |
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| Dr. Peadar Noone |
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| Dr. James Yankaskas |
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| Dr. Scott Randell |
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| Kim Nicoll, Admin contact |
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919-966-1645 |
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Contact Us
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If you have questions or would like to learn more about the UNC
Lung Transplant Program, please contact us:
Becky Cicale, RN
Transplant Coordinator
Phone: 919-966-0424
FAX: 919-966-0564
Ken Davis, RN
Transplant Coordinator
Phone: 919-966-6038
FAX: 919-966-0564
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Links &
Additional Information
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These links will take you to websites that contain more information
on lung transplantation.
UNC -
Surgery - Transplant Website : The surgical side
of UNC lung transplantation.
International
Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation : An international
organization of transplant physicians and health care professionals.
American Society
of Transplantation : A US organization of transplant
physicians and health care professionals.
Thoracic Society
: The medical section of the American Lung Association.
European Respiratory
Society : A leading organization of European respiratory
medicine.
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Faculty and Staff 
