Northwell performs first triple organ transplant on Long Island

Northwell performs first triple organ transplant on Long Island

“Miracles exist.” That’s what Sergio Arias Cestoni, the recipient of a rare lung, heart, and liver transplant procedure at Northwell's North Shore University Hospital, said about the surgery that saved his life from end-stage heart disease in February.  “This is a second chance at life,” said Cestoni, who is 47 and married from Hollis, Queens. He said he hopes to use it to spend more time with his wife, find a new job and return to his accountin…

Finding balance in life after a double-lung transplant

To follow my column last week about the rate of divorce after surviving advanced cystic fibrosis (CF) and double-lung transplant, this week I’ll focus on the intricate balance of living while dying. Don’t get me wrong, the improvement in my lung health since my transplant four years ago has been one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation says that living with CF is like breathing through a straw without taking a bre…