Walsh ‘stable’ one day after tumors removed UMaine coach up, out of bed Friday

ORONO – Maine hockey coach Shawn Walsh’s surgery to remove one of his lungs at the National Institutes of Health was successful and he was out of his bed “and doing well,” his surgeon said Friday.

“The operation was uneventful and the patient was stable,” said Dr. David Shrump, who performed the surgery Thursday in Bethesda, Md.

The surgery was undertaken in preparation for a stem cell transplant that Walsh hopes will stop the spread of his cancer.

Before the treatment can begin, doctors needed to remove his left lung and as many cancerous tumors as possible from under his breastplate to increase the likelihood of the treatment’s success.

Following three to four weeks of rest, Walsh will receive the stem-cell transplant, which will take up to two weeks to complete. Walsh’s brother is serving as the stem cell donor.

Stem cells are immature cells that develop into blood cells. By using stem cells from a cancer-free donor, it is hoped the new cells will grow and multiply, building a lasting immunity against the cancer.