Temple to Revive Transplant Programs

Back in May, Temple University Hospital’s transplant programs received less-than-stellar marks from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (we reported on it here). That same month, Temple announced that its lung transplant program would go on hiatus after its lead surgeon left for another job; the heart transplant program became inactive in July due to reported low patient volume.

Now, Temple’s working to revive both of those programs—they’ve applied for reactivation to the United Network for Organ Sharing—under brand new leadership: an accomplished surgeon and researcher from Pittsburgh named Yoshiya Toyoda. And he’s coming to Philly with an encyclopedia of titles: professor of surgery and vice chief of cardiothoracic surgery, surgical director of heart and lung transplantation, and surgical director of mechanical circulatory support. How’s that for a mouthful?

Toyoda has performed more than 450 heart, lung and heart-lung transplants in the past eight years and pioneered a minimally invasive surgery technique for lung transplants that produces smaller incisions, less pain and speedier recovery times for patients. Also on his brag list: Toyoda helped perform the first beating heart transplant in the U.S. using a donated heart. He appears on U.S. News & World Report’s top doctors list.

A graduate (with both a medical degree and a PhD) of Kobe University School of Medicine in Japan, Toyoda began his academic career at the University of Pittsburgh, eventually becoming the division chief of cardiothoracic transplantation. He also completed research and clinical fellowships at Harvard Medical School.