Lung transplantation: the complete journey

This video is an alternation of images with explanatory text on the screen.

The waiting room comes into view. The pulmonologist takes a male patient to consultation. Text on screen: Lung transplant Is a long journey ... We make sure you are not alone.

The patient receives support with oxygen. He says:

• I need to be helped, I find it very difficult to walk. I am easily tired. A few things go, but then I have to rest for a while and then I can do something again.

Text on screen: The lung specialist: first of all, we are listening.

• Are there any people with lung diseases in your family?
• Not specifically

The doctors and the patient look at radiology images of the lungs on a computer screen.

• This is a typical image of scarring.

Text on screen: more than 550 pre-transplant consultations per year

A social worker takes a patient down the corridor of the hospitalisation ward to a consultation room.

Text on screen: the social worker: "Informing people as well as possible about what to expect."

• It is now the case that all your medical data will be collected and your medical record discussed at the transplant meeting. Then a decision is made on whether you are eligible for a transplant.

You see a big team meeting of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, social worker ...

Text on screen: Multidisciplinary consultation: Every patient is unique. Every detail matters.

You see a patient sitting at the pulmonary diseases function measurements, a nurse accompanies her on an examination.

Text on screen: the pre-transplant examination: spirometry

• I am going to ask you sewwes to take the mouthpiece in your mouth and then I ask you to blow out forcefully and as far as you can. Breathe in fully and now continue ... and now breathe in and out calmly.

Another patient does an exercise test on a bicycle. A nurse accompanies him as he cycles. A doctor immediately looks at the results on the screen.

Text on the screen: the pre-transplant examination: ergospirometry

• We start the first lap. And keep going. One and two, and push on, and left and right. Hop, hop ...very good.

A nurse enters a hospital room, the male patient sits on the bed and the nurse settles in.

• 'Good morning, I'm Veronique. I am the nursing specialist and so basically the one who follows up and guides patients through the whole transplant story.

Text on the screen: the nurse specialist: "Communicating clearly prevents anxiety, but also false hope."

• How are you doing now?
• Fine
• Have the tests been a bit better than expected?
• They are.
• Dirk, the social worker and the psychologists, they have all visited you already and they will have given you a lot of information. What I would still like to discuss with you is what happens now? As soon as we have all the results together, then that will be discussed in a team ...

The camera switches to images of the head nurse, a logistics assistant and the cleaner with her trolley in the corridor. You then see them cleaning a room.

Text on screen: The cleaner: I am proud of my job

The full team comes into view.

A nurse steps into a room of a young patient and high-fives her.

• Are you doing ok?
• Yes
• I've come to do a CO measurement on you, do you know it?

Text on screen: The nurse: "Kindness is as important as the actual care"

• As soon as that 'beep-beep-beep-beep, you may exhale quietly into this tube.

The patient exhales.

• That's perfect.

The image switches to a doctor in his office holding the phone

• Good morning madam, this is Professor Vos from UZ Leuven. I'm calling you because we have some suitable lungs for you. that's good news. So we are expecting you in the emergency department.

Text on screen: Lung specialist's call: "The average waiting time is still almost 240 days."

A van reading 'Urgent urgent transport' drives into the car park. The image goes to the team.

Text on screen: The removal team: "UZ Leuven is the 3rd largest centre for lung transplantation.

The team transports the organ through the corridors.

You see a room where a mother is waiting with her son. A nurse enters

• I have good news. The transplant is going ahead. The operating theatre has contacted us and I can take you downstairs.

Text on screen: The nurse: "We are preparing the patient as best we can for that big moment."

The nurse drives the bed through the corridors. You then see the team at work in the operating theatre. Zoom in on the surgeon's work.

Text on screen: Lung transplant: Experienced team averaging 65 procedures a year

You see the new lungs going up and down the body. The patient is taken to intensive care. The image goes back to the transplant team in the operating theatre.

Text on screen: the transplant team: "Seeing a new lung born remains a miracle."

The patient is examined by two doctors in intensive care

Text on screen: intensive medicine: "A lung transplant remains a high-tech surgical procedure."

We move to medium care where the patient is helped by two nurses to sit up.

• Okay, ma'am, we are going to help you sit up in the seat. My colleague is here to help you.
• One, two, three. Now it is important that you look carefully in front of you. And we are going to stand carefully on the floor. Grasp the handrail with your hands. Carefully, sit down, yes

Text on screen: medium care: step by step on the road to recovery.

Image goes to occupational therapist walking down the corridor and entering an isolation room. She has isolation clothes and a mask on.

• Good morning, hello Willy . I'm Rose, I'm the occupational therapist.

Text on the screen: The occupational therapist: "We are giving the patient an insight into how he divides his energy".

• We are going to try to make you more independent again. Did you have a good night?
• Fine, slept well

A physiotherapist exercises with another patient on a walker in the corridor.

Text on screen: The 100,000th lung transplant patient: Every patient has to go through a process to learn to live with new lungs.

A nurse wearing a blue isolation apron puts on a mouth mask and disinfects her hands. Moments later, you see her explaining the medication to a young patient.

• So I say which pills, and then you can take them all out and get them ready here in that jar. The first one, a Pantomed of 40 mg

The nurse "Therapy adherence and medication intake are vital.

The camera goes to a doctor performing a bronchoscopy on a patientunder the assistance of a nurse . You can follow on the screen.

Text on screen: bronchoscopy: "A bronchoscopy can detect rejection early."

• Are you in pain, ma'am?

The patient shakes her head.

A physiotherapist exercises at pace with a patient in the corridors. She can monitor his heart rate.

• One minute to go, Mr Tobback, hold on tight. One we leave for the last minute. One more.

Text on the screen: The six-minute walk test: Walking to evaluate exercise capacity.

The camera moves to the consultation where the lung specialist sees a female patient again.

• Hi Kristien, how are you?
• Good. Overall, actually going pretty well.

Text on screen: More than 3,300 port-transplant consultations a year. Experience is the best teacher and leads to the best results.

• Going over everything for a moment, the picture actually shows nothing special compared to last time. No changes, this is good.
• Yes
• Lung function is perfectly stable, that doesn't 'bouge'. You are blowing a lot above 100 per cent, no signs of chronic rejection. You can rest easy and sleep on your two ears.

Finally, you alternate between the different teams on screen one after the other. The slogan appears on screen: "Together we make sure you are not alone."