800-TEMPLE-MED

National Referral Destination for Lung Transplants

A Trusted Partner for Referring Physicians

The Temple Lung Center is a national leader in lung transplantation, providing life-saving options for patients who are often considered too high-risk at other programs, or those in need of retransplant. With one of the highest transplant volumes in the country and patient outcomes that consistently surpass national benchmarks, Temple is a premier referral destination for physicians whose patients need advanced transplant evaluation and care.

Our expertise expands access to patients around the world and those with complex clinical profiles, including advanced age, higher BMI, comorbidities, and those requiring advanced techniques. Temple’s transplant team is dedicated to collaborating with referring physicians to ensure streamlined evaluations, coordinated communication, and the best possible outcomes for patients.

Experience Matters

Led by internationally recognized pulmonologists and cardiothoracic surgeons advancing the standard of care through research and clinical innovation, the Temple Lung Center offers physicians a referral destination where pioneering therapies translate into life-saving options for their patients.

Since 1994, experts at the Temple Lung Center have performed more than 1,700 lung or heart-lung transplants. And, despite frequently taking on complex cases and high-risk patients, Temple routinely outperforms national averages in post-transplant survival rates.

Among the leaders driving these results is Dr. Yoshiya Toyoda, Surgical Director of Thoracic Transplantation at Temple University Hospital and Professor of Surgery and William Maul Measey Chair of Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. Dr. Toyoda is internationally recognized for pioneering the antero-axillary approach to lung transplantation, a minimally invasive surgical technique that reduces complications compared to traditional double-lung transplant methods. He is also a highly regarded expert in performing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) concurrent with transplant when needed, a specialty procedure unique to the Temple Lung Center given its complexity. This technique offers patients with heart disease who may be considered ineligible for transplant at most centers a second chance at Temple.

Additionally, Temple offers the option of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to give patients in danger of imminent death time to be evaluated. Some patients with end-stage lung disease deteriorate rapidly and cannot survive on mechanical ventilation alone while waiting for donor lungs. ECMO provides temporary heart-lung support, oxygenating blood and removing carbon dioxide outside the body. This keeps patients stable, and sometimes even awake and mobile, until suitable donor lungs are available.

Additional program highlights include:
  • Fastest Time to Transplant in the Region: Temple offers the shortest time from listing to transplant, helping patients access life-saving care when it matters most.
  • Comprehensive Care: The Temple Lung Center’s transplant program brings together a highly skilled multidisciplinary team that includes not just surgeons and pulmonologists, but also physical therapists, respiratory therapists, gastroenterologists, cardiologists, speech language pathologists, nutritionists, nurses, social workers, and financial counselors.
  • Retransplantation in Medically Complex Cases: Retransplantation accounts for 5% of all lung transplant cases worldwide, and Temple’s highly skilled technical team is able to offer retransplantation for those complex cases. The primary indications of lung retransplantation are end-stage chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD); acute graft failure; and irreversible airway complications, all refractory to standard of care

Refer a Patient Today.

Call 800-TEMPLE-MED or submit a referral to connect with our transplant team.

Expanding Boundaries:
Clinically and Geographically

For patients who may live far from Philadelphia, the Temple Lung Center’s pioneering transplant innovations make care possible. By advancing preservation, transport, and surgical techniques, Temple can safely utilize donor lungs from greater distances and expand candidacy for patients once considered too high-risk. These innovations not only improve outcomes but also ensure that patients around the world can benefit from Temple’s expertise.

Our surgical team is always available for organ assessment, maximizing donor opportunities. Temple also employs leading-edge preservation and organ recovery techniques to optimize donor lung quality and expand access to patients:

 

 

  • Temple has incorporated the use of the Paragonix LUNGguard® when needed, providing controlled, temperature-stable environments for donor lungs during transplant. Unlike traditional methods that rely on ice-filled coolers, which can expose lungs to harmful freezing temperatures, it preserves donor lung quality over longer transport distances. Since incorporating the use of Paragonix LUNGguard®, Temple has been able to safely utilize donor lungs from expanded criteria donors and from greater distances, providing access to suitable organs for candidates who might otherwise face prolonged wait times.

  • Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) continues to be a critical technology, especially for evaluating and reconditioning lungs that may have sustained injury or come from high-risk donors. At Temple, EVLP remains an important option for select cases where marginal donor lungs may be salvageable.

  • The Temple Lung Center was the first hospital in Pennsylvania to perform lung transplantation using the TransMedics Organ Care System – a groundbreaking, portable, normothermic perfusion platform that preserves donor organs in a near-human physiological state, significantly improving viability and expanding the potential lung donor pool.

Streamlined Referral &
Evaluation Process

Temple has designed its transplant evaluation program to reduce barriers for both patients and their providers. We partner with referring physicians at every step, ensuring continuity of care and transparent communication.

Rapid Evaluation Pathway Includes:

  • Comprehensive record review in collaboration with referring physicians before first visit.

  • Consolidated diagnostic testing and consultations, typically within three days.

  • Convenient and inexpensive accommodations for patients and caregivers at the Gift of Life Family House.

    These systems allow patients – whether local or traveling from out of state – to be assessed and listed quickly, without disruption to their ongoing medical care.

Partner With Temple

When you refer to Temple, you gain a committed partner who will keep you informed throughout your patient’s journey. Our team values collaboration, communication, and shared decision-making to ensure seamless care before, during, and after transplant.

Call 800-TEMPLE-MED or submit a referral to connect with our transplant team.
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