Biopsy samples will be taken as a 2mm x 2cm excision of a wedge of skin at the edge of the incision during your surgery at the Mayo Clinic Rochester. Such excisions are frequently done as part of routine skin closure for optimal skin cosmesis following the surgical procedure.

As part of the long-term goal of successfully implementing tissue regeneration strategies in an individualized manner for patients with thoracic diseases including, but not limited to: cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension, we will assess the feasibility of collecting skin biopsies from patients undergoing surgery for thoracic disease, culturing skin fibroblasts from the biopsy, and reprogramming these skin fibroblasts into induced pluripotent cells. Markers of induced pluripotent phenotype will be utilized to assess successful reprogramming.