Sheba and Toronto General Hold Special Conference to Discuss the Latest Lung Transplantation Breakthroughs

During the unique conference, held at Sheba Medical Center’s expansive healthcare campus, senior lung transplant experts from Toronto General Hospital showcased new research that indicates recent developments could allow lungs to remain viable outside the donor’s body for at least 72 hours – an important finding that is expected to improve lung transplantation success rates.

Other breakthroughs were presented by experts from both Sheba and Toronto General, including UV light lung sterilization techniques and methods that facilitate the transplantation of lungs from donors with type A blood to recipients with type O blood.

This was the second scientific conference initiated as part of the transplant program at Sheba, which is aimed at promoting collaborations with other leading medical centers worldwide.

“This conference is the direct result of a lung transplantation cooperation that began in 2019 between Sheba and Toronto General,” explained Dr. Liran Levy, Medical Director of Sheba’s Lung Transplant Program. “We will continue to work together, focusing on innovation, research, and education.”

Lung Transplantation Program was Launched in December 2020

Sheba’s Lung Transplant Program was launched in December 2020, and is headed jointly by Dr. Levy, who previously trained at Toronto General, and Dr. Milton Saute, a pioneer of lung transplantation in Israel. To date, more than 30 lung transplants have been performed as part of the program, including transplants for patients whose lungs were damaged by COVID-19.

In addition to joint conferences, the collaboration between Sheba and Toronto General includes bilateral consultations on challenging patients, an exchange of trainees, and collaborative efforts to develop the next generation of treatments.