The trachea, or windpipe, is a tube that brings air to and from the lungs. It is a hard organ to transplant because there are many tiny blood vessels. New research helped doctors at The Mount Sinai Hospital do a transplant for Sonia Sein. The 56-year-old woman had an asthma attack six years ago. She ended up in the hospital with a tube down her throat to help her breathe. The tube damaged her trachea. Doctors tried to repair the damage, but it didn’t work. At Mount Sinai, a team worked for years to research the procedure. The transplant was done in January and Sein is doing well. The doctors are hopeful they can use this surgery to help others like Sein.
