Organ transplant has been a life-saving option for decades now, but its science is still evolving. One of the most pressing questions is why some people with transplants surpass the standard expectations. I recently spoke with David Weill, MD, director of Stanford’s Center for Advanced Lung Disease, and Bruce Reitz, MD, the Stanford physician who performed the first successful adult heart-lung transplant in 1981, about one patient who has definitely exceeded expectations.
Steve Rasmussen was a 28-year-old Santa Cruz resident when cystic fibrosis finally claimed his lungs in 1988. The best solution then was a heart-lung transplant. Twenty-six years later, Rasmussen is now celebrating the 25th anniversary of his transplant - and his remarkable record of transplant longevity. (Earlier this year, Stanford’s lung transplant program hit a milestone of its own, marking its 500th adult transplant.)
As I wrote in my article about why Rasmussen has survived so long:
Reitz knows that Rasmussen's transplant longevity is unusual. He thinks that it might be related to some kind of difference in Rasmussen' immune system. Another possibility is the combination of a particular donor and a particular recipient. "Frankly, we don't have any real clue what it is about the long-term survivors that has given them this tremendous gift," Reitz said.
There's more in the video above.
Previously: Life-threatening diagnosis leads to powerful friendship for two California teens, A story from the edge of medical possibility: Operatic soprano sings after double lung transplant and Celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the world’s first lung-heart transplant
