South Florida Man with End-Stage Lung Disease Saved with Double-Lung Transplant at Miami Transplant Institute

By: Krysten Brenlla

A Venezuelan native, Orlando Guerra, 61, moved to the United States in November 2019 to provide a better opportunity for his family.

In January 2021, Guerra contracted COVID-19, but recovered without needing any medical intervention.

However, as the months passed, he began to suffer from shortness of breath, persistent coughing, and fatigue. In April 2021, Guerra consulted his primary care doctor, who gave him devastating news: he was diagnosed with post-COVID pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic condition that causes gradual scarring of the lungs.

“After my diagnosis, I started treatments to help stop the progression of the disease. But it just reached a point where my lungs weren’t able to function anymore because my oxygen levels were so low,” Guerra said. “My doctor told me that transplant was the only option I had left.”

He was referred to the Miami Transplant Institute (MTI), an affiliation between Jackson Health System and UHealth – University of Miami Health System, where he met his new team of pulmonologists and lung experts at The Lung Center at Jackson and MTI.

“When we first saw Orlando, he was suffering from end-stage lung disease and was depending on a lot of oxygen. He was also overweight, so we worked with him to help him lose the weight so he could be eligible for transplantation,” said Juan Salgado, MD, fellowship director for transplant pulmonology at The Lung Center at Jackson and MTI.

“His odds at surviving the next six months were very slim.”

Guerra’s post-COVID fibrosis continued to deteriorate. However, with the help of therapy at Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at UHealth/Jackson Memorial and the multi-disciplinary care at The Lung Center, he lost the weight and became eligible for transplantation.

After just one week of being listed for a transplant, he received the call he longed for: a match was found.

“My world turned upside down – I felt terror and happiness at the same time,” Guerra said. “I called my wife, who was at work, and I talked to my kids before leaving – I was full of enthusiasm because when that moment came, I knew I would keep living and would be able to spend more time with my family, which is the most important thing for me.”

On November 4, 2022, the team at The Lung Center successfully performed Guerra’s double-lung transplant.

After the procedure, he spent three months in the hospital recovering, while undergoing more rehabilitation therapy to help him with daily activities.

By March 4, 2022, Guerra was healthy and ready to go home.

“Orlando has made remarkable progress and no longer requires supplemental oxygen or therapy; he’s living a normal life,” Dr. Salgado said. “Our daily work is a collaborative effort involving a large, multi-disciplinary team that helps us navigate the challenges of our complex cases, allowing us to restore quality of life for our patients.”

Today, Guerra is embracing life as he once knew it. He’s also collaborating with local producers on a documentary to share his transplant journey, hoping to inspire others to remain strong in their battle against end-stage lung disease while advocating for organ transplantation.

“I’m so grateful for God, for the doctors at MTI, and for the donor family – I’m alive today because of them,” Guerra said. “One of the most important things in life is breathing – if you can’t breathe, you can’t live. I thank God every day for this second chance.”