Brothers Thrive After Lung Transplants at Duke

Treatment TermsPulmonary fibrosis and interstitial lung diseaseLung transplantPulmonary rehabilitation Author Karen Doss Bowman Overview U.S. Air Force veteran Michael Bonnette and his brother Robert, a volunteer firefighter, are used to saving the lives of others. After developing pulmonary fibrosis, they turned to Duke University Hospital for double lung transplants because of its short wait times and pulmonary rehab program. Now, a few years later, the brothers are back to their active lifestyles. Hero Image20170927.bonnettes.web_.01.jpg Preview Image Content Blocks Section Features Images/Media Text Content Section Features Images/Media Text Content Section Features Images/Media Text Content Header Possible Genetic Predisposition ContentThe cause of pulmonary fibrosis is often unknown and most people do not have a clear family history of the disease, explained Duke pulmonologistJohn Reynolds, MD. But there are rare circumstances of familial pulmonary fibrosis, in which more than one member of the same family will develop the disease.“There can be a genetic predisposition for pulmonary fibrosis, and that’s a possibility in this situation,” Dr. Reynolds said. “However, both Michael and Robert were exposed to environmental factors as well. It’s hard to know how much of their condition was triggered by inhaling something versus another factor. Without other generational family members affected, it’s hard to implicate a familia...
Source: dukehealth.org: Duke Health News - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Source Type: news