The Lung Transplant Team at Severance Hospital's Organ Transplant Center recently performed its 600th lung transplant, a first in Korea.

This milestone follows the achievement of Korea's first 500th lung transplant in May 2023, accomplished in just over two years and three months.

The recipient of the 600th lung transplant is a 61-year-old male patient, diagnosed with idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia (Idiopathic NSIP). Idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia, whose cause is unknown, is a disease characterized by stiff lungs, leading to shortness of breath. It differs from infectious pneumonia, a lung disease commonly caused by bacterial infection.

The patient had relied on oxygen therapy for years, but his breathing difficulties progressively worsened and did not improve with medication. Ultimately, he was admitted to the intensive care unit and required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).

ECMO is a life-support device that assists patients unable to supply oxygen or expel carbon dioxide on their own. Initiating ECMO signifies the highest urgency level, “Emergency Level 0,” among lung transplant candidates.

The Severance Hospital Lung Transplant Team successfully completed surgery on Aug. 11, transplanting lungs from a brain-dead donor into the patient. Two days after the highly complex surgery, which lasted over seven hours, the ECMO could be removed. Subsequently, the patient’s arterial blood gas analysis (ABGA) levels and oxygen saturation (SpO₂) stabilized rapidly. The patient, who had been dependent on the machine, was now able to breathe independently, with sufficient oxygen reaching his entire body, including his brain and liver.

After ECMO removal, the patient regained consciousness. Ten days post-surgery, he was transferred from the ICU to a general ward and is currently continuing rehabilitation therapy.

As the leading lung transplantation center in Korea, Severance Hospital has performed the highest number of surgeries in the country since achieving Korea's first successful lung transplant in 1996. It has firmly maintained its position as the top institution for annual transplant surgeries, solidifying its status as the undisputed center for lung transplantation in Korea.

The Severance Hospital Lung Transplant Team operates a multidisciplinary collaboration system. Specialized medical professionals from various fields, including thoracic surgery, respiratory medicine, infectious disease, and rehabilitation medicine, participate simultaneously to provide close management of patients before and after surgery. The team possesses a systematic treatment system that covers the entire process—from transplant surgery itself to infection prevention, rehabilitation therapy, and long-term follow-up care—securing the highest level of competitiveness in Korea, according to the hospital.

“Reaching 600 cases is not just a number; it is the fruit of patients' and families' earnest waiting and the dedication of our medical staff,” said Professor Lee Jin-gu of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, head of the Lung Transplant Team. “We will continue to do our utmost so that more patients can regain healthy breathing and start new lives.”