MADISON, Wis. -- Marquette assistant basketball
coach Trey Schwab, who received a life-saving double-lung
transplant in February, Tuesday was upgraded to critical but stable condition a day after undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot.
Schwab suffered a massive pulmonary embolism -- a blood clot to
the lungs -- Monday while convalescing at University of Wisconsin
Hospital and Clinics. He was taken to the operating room and
the embolism was removed through open-heart surgery.
Physicians at University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics are continuing to evaluate Schwab's condition on a day-to-day basis.
Schwab has been was diagnosed with a rare, incurable disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The cause of IPF is unknown. The disease is progressive and relentless; it replaces the air exchange sacs in the lung with scar tissue.
"Trey is a very special person who is going through an
incredibly difficult time and it is our hope that everyone keeps
him steadfast in their prayers," Marquette coach Tom Crean
said.
Schwab waited nearly two years for the transplant and is among
the more than 80,000 individuals waiting for one due to a
shortage of organ donors. About 25-30 percent of patients die
while waiting for a lung transplant.
The transplant program at Wisconsin Hospital is one of the
nation's largest and most successful with particular focus on
cystic fibrosis patients. The survival rates for lung
transplant patients at University of Wisconsin for one year is
84 percent, three years is 69 percent and five years is 60
percent.
Diagnosed with IPF in the fall of 2001, Schwab is in his third
year with Marquette as a special assistant. His primary duties
are the coordination of video efforts, team travel and on-campus
recruiting.
Schwab was the co-recipient of the Dr. James Wolf Courage Award
last June, presented annually to an individual outside the
transplant-donation community who has played a significant role
in public awareness of organ and tissue donation.
Before coming to Marquette in 2001, Schwab worked for six years
with the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA, the last five as an
advance and college scout.
Information from SportsTicker was used in this report.