ESSEN, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Heinz-Dieter Hilgers comes only once per month to the Ruhrlandklinik hospital for a routine check-up. Nine months ago, in June 2010, his situation was dramatic: Suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for almost two years, Hilgers, 49 years young, had been listed for lung transplant since April 2009. While waiting for an organ, he became more and more sick, requiring long-term oxygen therapy since February and non-invasive ventilation since May 2010. These treatments however did not really help: “Taking a shower took me one hour,” he says, and adds, “I couldn’t ride my bike. Even dining was an effort.”
