Third High-Altitude Project After Kilimanjaro and Toubkal
Following expeditions to Mount Kilimanjaro (2017) and Jebel Toubkal (2019), Aconcagua became the third high-altitude destination for lung transplant recipients in 2026. The initiative was launched and organized by Viennese pulmonologist Peter Jaksch of the Department of Thoracic Surgery.
The aim of these projects is to demonstrate the physical capabilities of transplant recipients. In public perception, lung transplant patients are often regarded as permanently and severely limited. The expedition sought to show that carefully selected and well-supported patients can perform at high levels even under extreme conditions, provided they are medically supervised and properly prepared.
A Summit Success – Without Supplemental Oxygen
Participants from Austria, Switzerland, the United States, Croatia, and Denmark took part, including one liver transplant recipient. The majority reached altitudes above 5,500 meters—without the use of supplemental oxygen.
The only patient to reach the summit of Aconcagua was 50-year-old Austrian Helmut Steigersdorfer, who received a donor lung in 2002 at Vienna General Hospital. For him, standing on the summit was an extraordinary physical and mental achievement—and a message of hope for others:
“I wanted to show what is possible under controlled conditions with a lung transplanted 24 years ago, and to give hope and confidence to others.”
Expedition as a “Scientific Field Laboratory”
The expedition was not only a sporting challenge but also a research project conducted under extreme conditions. The medical team from MedUni Vienna carried out comprehensive examinations, including:
- Regular blood gas analyses to assess oxygen supply
- Collection of immunological markers
- Stool and saliva samples before and after the expedition
- Digital monitoring of vital parameters such as heart rate variability and oxygen saturation
- AI-supported analytical models to evaluate lung function
A Signal for Modern Transplant Medicine
Clemens Aigner, Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery and member of the medical-scientific support team:
“The successful expedition symbolizes the potential of modern transplant medicine. Projects like this make visible the level of performance and quality of life that are possible after successful lung transplantation—and highlight the importance of combining surgical expertise with long-term follow-up care.”
For the participating patients, the project ultimately represented courage, team spirit, and trust—in their own bodies and in modern medicine.
With approximately 100 to 110 lung transplants performed each year, the University Department of Thoracic Surgery at MedUni Vienna and Vienna General Hospital ranks among the world’s leading centers in this field.
MedUni Wien News / Puls24 / Die Presse / Heute / Mein Bezirk / OÖNachrichten / Salzburger Nachrichten / Kronen Zeitung / Kurier