Dr. Joel Cooper, who led the TGH team that performed the world’s first successful lung transplant on Tom Hall in 1983, reunited with Barbara Hall, wife of the transplant recipient, at the 30th Anniversary celebration. (Photo: UHN)
More than 350 people gathered at Toronto's Four Season’s Hotel Wednesday evening to celebrate a miracle -- the 30th Anniversary of the world’s first successful lung transplant, performed on Nov. 7, 1983 at Toronto General Hospital.
Among the attendees were members of the original transplant team and Tom Hall’s family. Hall was the world’s first successful lung transplant recipient. He lived for six years following his transplant.
Prior to Hall, lung transplantation was attempted 44 times around the world, but none of those patients survived. Hall was number 45.
At the event, Dr. Joel Cooper, who led the transplant team 30 years ago and Dr. Shaf Keshavjee, Director, Toronto Transplant Program, spoke about transplantation and innovative progress that has taken place in the field since that historic operation.
Since Hall’s surgery, nearly 1,500 lung transplants have taken place at TGH and recipients now have a 95 per cent survival rate.
Attending the 30th Anniversary Celebration event Wednesday are (from left to right) Drs. Thomas Todd, Joel Cooper, Alec Patterson and Griff Pearson (seated), who worked on the first successful lung transplant. They’re joined by Dr. Shaf Keshavjee (far right) Director, Toronto Lung Transplant Program.
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