University of California San Francisco Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Florida are the best U.S. hospitals in which to have a lung transplant as of 2014, indicates the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. Both had higher-than-expected one-year survival rates for lung transplants performed July 2010 through December 2012.
UCSF Medical Center had a 96 percent one-year survival rate for lung transplants performed during the 18-month period, notes UCSF. Mayo Clinic Florida had a 93 percent one-year survival rate during the same time period, according to the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients. The national average is 84 percent, states UCSF.
UCSF Medical Center, which is the only program that enjoyed significantly better lung transplant results for two consecutive reporting periods, performs 40 to 50 lung transplants each year, explains UCSF. Over 60 percent of UCSF lung transplant patients survive for at least five years following surgery.
The hospital accepts the most severe cases, including those who have been turned away from other facilities. UCSF attributes its success in this area to managing patients before, during and after their procedures and following up over the long term. While all lung transplant recipients struggle with chronic rejection issues, long-term survival rates are on the increase due to improved protocols, notes UCSF.
