Lung & Heart-Lung Transplant Program

Lung & Heart-Lung Transplant Program

The Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Program is part of a multi-organ transplant center at Nationwide Children's Hospital. The program received its initial United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) accreditation in 2005.

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About
Our Team
ECMO
Patient Stories
Resources

Welcome to Nationwide Children's Lung & Heart-Lung Transplant Program

Our transplant program utilizes a multidisciplinary team of lung transplant and heart-lung transplant experts in the transplantation of children and adults with childhood diseases. Our patients are able to see all of their physicians and health care team members in one visit and at one location. Our team of experts provides comprehensive support for our patients and their families, while maintaining a collaborative relationship with the referring physician.

The Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Program is part of an advanced lung disease center consisting of programs for cystic fibrosis, pulmonary vascular disease, pulmonary hypertension, interstitial lung disease, and neonatal lung disease. Our transplant team also works in conjunction with our renowned Heart Center, offering combined heart-lung transplantation to patients with advanced cardiopulmonary disease.

View Our Transplant Guide

Meet Our Transplant Teams

Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Team

Learn more about the team of experts on our Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant team.

Ambulatory ECMO

ECMO (Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) is a treatment that brings oxygen into the body when the heart and/or lungs are failing and serves as an artificial lung. Used as a “bridge to transplant,” ECMO supports patients prior to lung or heart/lung transplant surgery and can be used for days or weeks at a time while the patient waits for transplant.

On standard ECMO, a patient may be sedated and bedridden. That can cause the muscles to become weak and a patient may continue to deteriorate due to their condition. However, ambulatory ECMO allows patients to move or “ambulate” while on ECMO. While waiting for transplant surgery, patients can become stronger through rehabilitation: sitting up, moving the legs, walking, and in some cases, eating. This improves a patient’s overall strength while they are being evaluated for transplantation.

Nationwide Children's offers a pediatric Ambulatory ECMO program to patients with advanced lung disease including acute respiratory decompensation and has the capability of transporting patients on ECMO if needed.

Meet Our Patients

Maggie

Maggie

Condition(s): Lung and Lung Heart Transplant
Age Today: 16 Years

Maggie became very sick with influenza A, which progressed in severity causing significant damage to her lungs. Maggie would find out she needed a lung transplant. Learn more about Maggie's story.

Patient Annika

Read Annika's Story

Name: Annika K.
Condition(s): Bronchiolitis, Lung and Lung Heart Transplant, Motility Disorders

When Annika was just 12 weeks old, she contracted adenovirus. She went into multisystem organ failure and respiratory failure. In September 2021, Annika received a double lung transplant at Nationwide Children's.

Emily D

Read Emily's Story

Name: Emily D.
Condition(s): Cystic Fibrosis
Age Today: 42 Years

When Emily was 11-years-old, she was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. At the time, she had no idea what it was or what it meant. In 2005, she received the first double-lung transplant at Nationwide Children’s.

Esemeralda's Story

Meet Esmeralda

Esmeralda was born with a very rare disorder called Antisynthetase Syndrome and was in dire need of a lung transplant. Her doctors at Phoenix Children's Hospital decided to send her to Nationwide Children's Hospital for the lung transplant.

Resources for Families

A Kid Again

A Kid Again provides year-round, fun-filled, cost-free family outings called Adventures for children with life-threatening conditions and their families. Parking, meals and admission are covered to places like the Columbus Zoo, COSI, Kings Island, The Wilds and many more kid-desired destinations! We cover hundreds of conditions and children ages 0-20 can enroll in minutes for free here.

Children's Organ Transplant Association

The Children's Organ Transplant Association helps children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support.

Lifeline of Ohio

Lifeline of Ohio’s mission is to empower the community to save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

Ohio Solid Ogran Transplant Consortium

The Ohio Solid Organ Transplantation Consortium is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with solid organ failure who could benefit from an organ transplant.

United Network for Organ Sharing

The mission of the United Network for Organ Sharing is to advance organ availability and transplantation to support patients through education, technology and policy development.

Inside the Lung & Heart-Lung Transplant Program

Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Team

Learn more about the team of experts on our Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant team.

Transplant Guide

Check out a compiled list of answers to the questions we hear most often about lung and heart-lung transplant.

Mechanical Cardiopulmonary Assist Program

The Mechanical Cardiopulmonary Assist Program (MCPAP) provides hope to the most fragile pediatric and adult patients facing heart, lung or heart/lung transplants.