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Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Three years ago, Ann Sidesinger could barely walk 10 feet. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis had made her lungs thick and stiff. Even with an oxygen tank, it was hard to catch her breath.

“When you can't breathe, everything is such an effort and you just don't have any energy,” Sidesinger said. “I would wake up in the morning with dread thinking, I’ve got to go through this day and I don't want to because it's so hard.”

As the Ohio resident’s lung disease worsened, her world became smaller. She had to trade trail hiking for walks around her neighborhood. When leaving the house started to wear her out, she relied on grocery and meal delivery services to meet her needs. Going up and down the stairs in her home was a task she could only tackle once a day.  

“I needed more and more oxygen to move from my bed to my bathroom,” Sidesinger said. “I was out of breath and I was on oxygen.”

Sidesinger’s pulmonologist referred her to , where she had double lung transplant surgery September 2022.

National lung transplantation rates rise but remain lower than other organs
A lung transplant is considered for people with end-stage lung disease when other treatment options have failed. Lungs are the most challenging organ to transplant because they are fragile. Fewer than 30 percent of all donor lungs meet the criteria for transplantation.

“We carefully evaluate donor lungs to reduce the likelihood of health risks after transplant,” said , medical director of lung transplantation and professor of internal medicine at . “We look at the age of the donor, blood and tissue compatibility, imaging, smoking history, chest trauma and lung health to make the best match for patients.”

A large team of transplant pulmonologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, transplant nurse coordinators, transplant pharmacists, transplant social workers, transplant psychologists, physical therapists and transplant dietitians are involved in the care of lung transplant patients.

“Our approach here is we always treat patients the way we'd want to be treated ourselves and we take a lot of pride in our multidisciplinary approach,” said , heart and lung transplant surgeon and assistant professor of surgery. “There are hundreds of people taking care of these patients both before the transplant and after the transplant.”

According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, the number of lung transplants performed in the United States has increased during the past decade from 1,925 in 2014 to 3,370 in 2024. Last year, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center performed 70 lung transplants and ranked 18^th in the country.

“The number of lung transplants has grown but nationally there is a need for more donors,” Henn said. “The more donors we have, the more people we can help.”

Lung transplant improves, extends lives
Two years after surgery, Sidesinger’s quality of life has greatly improved. The retired grandmother goes on regular walks, exercises at her local community center and she has hiked mountains in Colorado and the Dominican Republic.

“The goal of the transplant is to get patients back to where they can live their life,” Henn said. “I'm often struck when we see patients in the office after the transplant. To see patients recover and get back to their life and really be very happy is extremely gratifying to our program.”

April is National Donate Life Month, a time to raise awareness of the need for more organ donors, encourage people to become registered organ donors and honor those who saved lives through donation.

“I don't complain about anything because once you can't do the everyday little things, the mundane things in your life, and you can now, you just shouldn't take anything for granted,” Sidesinger said. “I'm ever so thankful that I have these lungs and I'm thankful for all the people that donate organs. That's so appreciated and it's so meaningful.”

To learn more about organ donation, visit: . 

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