An Iowa woman will head home this week after organ transplant surgery that was the first-of-its kind in the U.S.
Thirty-six-year old Elizabeth Wehrle of Montezuma has cystic fibrosis and was diagnosed with chronic rejection of transplanted lungs early this year.
Doctors at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago performed a retransplant — replacing them with another set of lungs.
After many months in the hospital, Wehrle says she’s ready to return home and spend time with her 11-year-old son.
“I left my house February 17th for a regular doctor’s appointment and never went back,” Wehrle says. “I’ve not been back, and I’m ready to hug my kid in my own space, ready to sleep in my own bed, just ready for my life back.”
Wehrle also got transplants of a kidney and a liver Only seven quadruple organ transplants have been done in the U.S., but Wehrle’s procedure is the first with retransplanted lungs.
Dr. Sateesh Nadig, at Northwestern, is one of her doctors.
“The novelty of it doesn’t really cross our minds, to be very honest with you,” Nadig says. “The question is: What does Elizabeth need to save her life, and do we have the skill sets and the abilities to provide what she needs? And then we move forward.”
Nadig says lung retransplants are extremely difficult because of heavy scarring from earlier surgeries. She had her first lung transplant in 2017.
