To date, only a handful of patients have received three double-lung transplants, and most have had their surgeries done through Duke Health.
That was also true for Taylor Stevenson.
The 26-year-old is currently recovering after undergoing a rare and complex surgery.
“I was born with cystic fibrosis, but I wasn’t finally diagnosed until I was about nine months old,” Stevenson said. “My parents were very proactive about my health and made sure I continued my treatment.”
Stevenson recalled a strict health regimen that included taking medication and a 7 p.m. curfew.
“I started being hospitalized when I was in fifth or sixth grade,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson’s condition gradually worsened, and in 2015 he learned he needed his first transplant.
“I was 16 years old and I was in a pediatric center,” she said. “It lasted about three-and-a-half years and was rejected in 2019.”
Stevenson then prepared to go through the process again. She underwent her second double lung transplant in 2020.
Eventually, Stevenson’s body began to reject those lungs as well.
“The doctor said, ‘There’s no other way to tell, but you need another transplant.’ I was completely unprepared,” she said.
She continued, “By the grace of God, my mother had free insurance at work, so she let me get insurance as well.”
Stevenson then began looking for a place to undergo a third double lung transplant. She sent a letter to doctors across the country.
“I never thought a third was an option, I had no idea. I had never met anyone who had a third transplant before,” she said.
Because the procedure was only performed at three locations in the country, many hospitals refused Stevenson treatment.
“I was so upset and devastated. I didn’t want to hear ‘no’.” That’s when I thought my life was going to end,” Stevenson said.
A team of doctors from Duke Health then responded to her plea.
Stevenson said he traveled to North Carolina State in September for evaluation before being given the green light to return permanently in October.
Her surgery took place on January 13, making Stevenson the 13th patient at Duke University Hospital to receive a third double-lung transplant.
Dr. John Reynolds is one of Stevenson’s physicians who has worked on the majority of triple double lung transplant cases through Duke Health.
He said Mr Stevenson had “ticked a lot of boxes” for him to feel comfortable undergoing the surgery.
“She was functioning, well-nourished, and had few other medical issues that would make retransplantation difficult,” Reynolds explained.
Reynolds said Stevenson’s young age was also a factor.
“The initial transplant is a daunting task,” Reynolds says. “Going back a second or third time can be increasingly difficult. Over time, due to scarring from previous surgeries and the drugs used to prevent rejection, these cumulative All the implications can be difficult.”
Reynolds said that’s why most medical programs don’t do a third transplant.
After the surgery, Stevenson continued on oxygen for about a week. Her recovery also requires her to do physical therapy every day and chart her lung capacity using equipment at her home.
It’s been a little more than a month since her surgery, and Stevenson said she’s feeling great.
She said she is grateful for a little more independence, now able to walk and play with her dog, make her own food and shower without assistance.
“The fact that we can do a third transplant is amazing. The science is amazing and Duke is amazing!” she exclaimed.
The patient had her first post-op scan on Valentine’s Day, and Ms Stevenson was delighted to say she was “free of rejection and is back.”
She said she takes the news as a sign that “third time’s the charm!”
