Pilot Study of Lung Transplantation After Ex-Vivo Lung Reconditioning

Only about 15% of the potential candidates for lung donation are considered suitable for transplantation. Thus, a strategy that could improve the quality and precision of assessment of nonacceptable donor lungs could have a major impact on reducing waiting time and mortality while on the list.

A new method for ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has been developed recently by Steen and colleagues to assess the quality of lungs from a non-heart-beating donor. The method can also be used to recondition "marginal" and nonacceptable donor lungs.

After harvesting, the lungs were perfused ex vivo with Steen Solution, an extracellular matrix with high colloid osmotic pressure. A membrane oxygenator connected to the circuit received gas from a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, maintaining a normal mixed venous blood gas level in the perfusate. The lungs were gradually rewarmed, reperfused, and ventilated for evaluation through analyses of oxygenation capacity, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), lung compliance (LC), and biopsy.