Adult cystic fibrosis care

People with cystic fibrosis (CF) are living longer than ever before, thanks to advanced therapies. Penn Medicine has a multidisciplinary team of highly skilled experts who focus solely on adult cystic fibrosis and who can help guide you as you move from pediatric to adult care. As an adult with CF, your lifestyle and health care needs are likely to change. You might be taking control of your cystic fibrosis management for the first time, or you may have new health challenges that can affect adults with CF, like diabetes, fertility, or obesity. Our team of specialized care providers partner with you to make sure your needs are met to support your health and your life goals.

Our cystic fibrosis specialists also have experience in cystic fibrosis diagnosis in adults for those with a milder type known as atypical cystic fibrosis. Whether you’re transitioning into adult care or you’re newly diagnosed as an adult, our experts are here to provide you with complete and compassionate care. The team gets to know you, your medical needs, and your life goals to create a tailored treatment plan that supports your health and lifestyle.

Penn Medicine’s specialists have decades of experience treating cystic fibrosis in adults. We treat hundreds of people with CF each year and have one of the largest populations of adults with CF in the nation. Our providers work with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and other pediatric centers to provide a seamless transition to adult care.

When you come to Penn Medicine, providers from multiple disciplines work together to give you a custom care plan based on your needs. Your team may include specialists with a focus on CF care including pulmonologists, advanced practice providers, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, dietitians, genetic counselors, pharmacists, and mental health providers. Our CF team can also coordinate with experts in hepatology, gastroenterology, gynecology, obstetrics, diabetes, ear, nose, and throat, and lung transplantation, among others to help manage all aspects of your care.

We’ve earned national recognition for our dedication to treating adults with cystic fibrosis. Penn Medicine is accredited by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for excellence in providing the highest quality comprehensive care.

Cystic fibrosis treatments tailored to your unique health care needs

Cystic fibrosis treatment can help improve your breathing, digestion, and nutrition, and it can also treat any infections that may develop. Therapies include airway clearance techniques, nutritional supplements, and medications, including CFTR modulator therapies that correct the malfunctioning protein made by the CFTR gene. Because Penn Medicine is an academic medical center, our experts can often integrate new, advanced treatments into your CF care as soon as they become available.

You’ll also have access to specialists who focus on disorders that are linked to CF in adults, like infertility, diabetes, and liver disease. If you need lung transplant surgery, your CF team can coordinate with Penn Medicine’s experienced transplant surgeons. You can be assured that you’ll receive the most appropriate cystic fibrosis care that’s centered around you.

Leading the way in cystic fibrosis research

Many Penn Medicine providers participate in research to find new treatments for cystic fibrosis. As part of the Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutic and Development Network, the largest CF clinical trials network in the world, our goal is to bring new therapies to people with CF sooner. Our researchers are also involved in studies funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.

You may have the chance to participate in clinical trials when you come to Penn Medicine, giving you every opportunity to get the treatments to help you live a fuller and healthier life.