‘Good to be alive’: Man celebrates 2 years with new lungs, 3D-printed stent
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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A double lung transplant patient is getting a new lease on life thanks to an organ donor and 3D printing technology.
Wayne Morgan is celebrating the two-year anniversary of the procedure, which was completed by Corewell Health doctors.
Morgan returned for a checkup on Tuesday and is grateful for the donor that provided his lungs, along with the doctors and technology that made his surgery possible.
“Two years ago, I might have been able to walk twice around there and I would have had to sit down. I would have been done. That would have been it,” Morgan said.
Doctors diagnosed Morgan with advanced pulmonary fibrosis.
“I was in the hospital for three weeks,” Morgan said. “You’ve got to kind of use a walker when you’re done. It’s canes. You have to be seated when you’re showering.”
Before, he was traveling from the Houghton Lake area to Grand Rapids for care. He now lives in Hartland on the east side of the state.
The first lung considered for transplant was not viable, but on March 27, 2022, he had a double lung transplant.
“I’m probably plateaued where I’m going to feel for the rest of my life, which is fine. I’m happy with this,” Morgan said. “I do get winded if I do a little too much, but I’m 71. That’s part of it.”
Dr. Reda Girgis, the medical director of the lung transplant program at Corewell Health, examined Morgan and reviewed his tests. Girgis was pleased with the results.
“At our program, most patients are doing well. So on average, our survival rate right now after five years is around 75%, which is a bit above the average,” Girgis said.
Right after the surgery, Morgan had one complication: a narrowing of one of the airways in his right lung. Doctors used new technology to address the issue.
“Based on the anatomy of the airway and the exact narrowing and location, that information can be transmitted to a program that’s then able to print in 3D a custom silicone stent that’s specifically designed to fit his airway anatomy,” Girgis said.
At the end of the appointment, Morgan rang the bell to celebrate two years with his new lungs.
He encourages more people to become organ donors and says not a day goes by without appreciating his family and his new lease on life.
“It’s just good to be alive,” Morgan said.
