CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Lung transplants are already relatively rare in North America, with less than 3,000 performed each year. Even more unique: a double lung transplant, performed on someone with a rare genetic condition called situs inversus, which causes organs in the abdomen to form in a reversed position.
In April 2023, for the first time at Northwestern Memorial, surgeons successfully performed the procedure on 27-year-old Yahaira Vega. Less than one month later, the same double lung transplant procedure was performed on 51-year-old Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer, who also had complications from situs inversus.
On Monday, Vega and Deer met for the first time.
“It’s rare enough to do one lung transplant for this condition,” Northwestern surgeon Dr. Ankit Bharat said. “Forget about doing two in the span of one month.”
Bharat said individuals with situs inversus have their heart — typically positioned on the left — positioned on the right. He said their lungs face opposite ways, too, much like feet would if the right foot were switched with the left foot.
“When we take the old ones out, now we have to put the normal, right lungs from a normal person that’s donating the organs to fit into the cavity, so that’s kind of the dilemma,” he said. “We have to come up with some technical modifications that allow us to do that.”
For Vega, who said she loves making people laugh, the successful procedure has her looking forward to developing a hearty laugh of her own.
“When I was sick, I could never really laugh — like those ugly, snorty, kind of piggy laughs,” she said. “I could never really focus on the joy. My sternum is, unfortunately, still not strong enough to laugh. But once it is, I just know I’m going to have the ugliest laugh ever.”
Vega added that she feels like she can now “strive to be something more.”
Deer said he intends to become a donor ambassador and even has a meeting with elected officials and Gift of Hope Tuesday to open discussions.
“Now I can breathe,” he said. “Now I’ve got new lungs on the inside, and I’d be remiss if I did not say a huge thanks to the donor. Somebody thought well enough to be willing to donate their lungs or be an organ donor. That’s very, very important.”
Both patients are recovering well and have returned to their daily lives as they check in regularly with doctors.
“We’re both walking miracles,” said Deer. “It is certainly a miracle.”
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