UCLA Double Lung Transplant

Tevis Moffett has suffered from a chronic lung infection all of his life, a debilitating condition called bronchiectasis that kept him tethered to an oxygen tank and threatened his life.

It got so that I couldnt do anything at all, he says. I was on oxygen 24/7. You know those little plastic sticks that have little holes in it that you stir your coffee? Try breathing through that sometime, and thats what it was like.

But after undergoing a double lung transplant at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Tevis is now beginning a new life.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Abbas Ardehali, M.D., performed the delicate lung transplant. In contrast to the other organs, such as kidney and liver where the time is more forgiving, for heart and lung transplantation, every minute that the organ is outside of the body is important, Dr. Ardehali explains.

The first 10 minutes following implantation are the most critical for the new lungs to function. Throughout our experience and many years of research at UCLA, we have devised an approach that we believe improves the function of the lungs in the long term, Dr. Ardehali says.

Now Tevis is able to do many things that he wasnt able to do before the transplant, and Dr. Ardehali expects there will be even greater improvement as he becomes accustomed to his new lungs.

Just to have it done is a miracle, Tevis says. Its like if you were to take a light switch and turn it off or turn it on, thats the difference of how I feel.

Learn more about lung transplantation at www.transplants.ucla.edu

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• double lung transplant
• bronchiectasis
• chronic lung infection
• UCLA transplantation services
• Dr. Abbas Ardehali
• Tevis Moffett

[inman1a]

wow just amazing ,Ibeen looking for stories about lung transpant survivors ,to see what they went threw and how long they can live with the new lung being i am on a waiting list to get a lung and i am just scared to death,at this point....I reside in texas and Baylor transplant team is going to do mine in hopefully near future ....Watching this has helped easy my fears somewhat ...

[Milhouse226]

Its amazing to see the progress of a lung transplant. My step dad was the recipient of a double lung transplant in oct at age 46 and to see how far hes come in just that short time is breathtaking

[76wahine]

Wow! Speechless!

[vikingscool]

what a incredible video! :O

[TheUrbanZone]

Wow. Now I have a better appreciation for being healthy! Inspiring!

[coalj37]

I met this guy on an air plane. He looks alot better now....Super nice guy.

[SuperDoucheMonkey]

inspiring...



[ranger082469]

Im a respiratory therapist this is wounderful to see Ive got one question . This gentleman seems pretty tall was there any difference in height of the donor and if so does it really matter on transplantation. I know it does on pulmonary functions testing but what about transplantation

[riceburner32]

Would it be right to call this procedure when preformed by a Tevologist a Tevectomy?

[68buickwildcat]

amazing! Sign your donor card and make sure your family knows your wishes.