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Houston hospital first in Texas to complete 'breathing lung' transplant

"This is amazing and incredible. This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I have the chance to have a life again."

HOUSTON — A local hospital has become the first in Texas, and third in the country, to successfully complete a breathing lung transplant.

Surgeons at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center used a device that simulates human-like conditions for the donor lung while in transit.

When using the Organ Care System Lung technology, doctors say organs aren’t as restricted by distance or time.

“Instead of being limited to three hour windows for instance, you can go out 12 hours or even more,” said Dr. Gabriel Loor, surgeon and director of lung transplantation.

The technology, nicknamed “Lung in a Box”, was approved by the FDA on March 23. Already, the procedure has been completed three times at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Dr. Loor believes the device improves the chances of a successful outcome.

“Everybody in the room comments on it. They say, “Wow, it doesn’t look like its defrosting. It looks the way the organ should look like,” said Loor.

Silvano Trino was one of the three local patients to undergo a breathing lung transplant.

He was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis four years ago. He moved to Houston in order to receive treatment at the Texas Medical Center.

His new lung was on the device for almost 11 hours before surgery.

“This is amazing. This is amazing and incredible. This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen,” he said. “I have the chance to have a life again.”

Trino was discharged from the hospital less than two weeks after his lung transplant.

The technology is currently being tested to use for heart and liver transplants.

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