Mayo Clinic in Arizona launches new lung transplant program

Mayo Clinic in Arizona announced the launch of a new lung transplant program offering restored function and hope to patients facing the most advanced stages of lung disease.

In June 2025, the Mayo Clinic in Arizona announced the addition of lung transplantation to its organ transplant program. The program delivers world-class care to critically ill patients battling end-stage lung disease who need a lung transplant to survive and restore their quality of life.

The new Mayo Clinic in Arizona Lung Transplant Program offers a multidisciplinary team of medical and surgical experts in the Southwest, supported by clinical innovation from across Mayo Clinic, bringing unparalleled experience and the latest in research-driven care to every patient.

Dr. Jonathan D’Cunha, Surgical Director of the Lung Transplant Program, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss the early successes of the program and what the future could bring for lung transplants.

According to Dr. D’Cunha, the procedures help “patients with specific lung disease, where they have no hope and transplants are the only option and all medical therapies have failed.”

A “huge team” of multidisciplinary professionals are involved in the lung transplant program according to Dr. D’Cunha. In the evaluation stage alone, social workers, infectious disease specialists, and pulmonologists are among the many care providers that are involved.

Below you can see photos of the first recipient of the transplant. “He was a 67 year old patient, with COPD Running out of options. He had COPD diagnosed about 7 years ago but like many patients, with the disease they decline and it affects their daily lives so much so that they have to choose between talking and breathing,” D’Cunha said.

To learn more about the recipient and the surgery that saved his life, the segment can be found above.

Photos courtesy of the Scherer Family and Mayo Clinic in Arizona