The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Jul 2017
Randomized Controlled TrialStandard donor lung procurement with normothermic ex vivo lung perfusion: A prospective randomized clinical trial.
Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) was primarily developed for evaluation of impaired donor lungs. The good clinical results raise the question for its possible impact on lungs meeting standard criteria. Before application of EVLP on such lungs enters routine clinical practice, it must be demonstrated whether EVLP would affect or improve outcome when used in standard donor lungs. We performed a prospective randomized trial to investigate the role of EVLP in standard lung transplantation (Tx). ⋯ This study provides evidence that EVLP can safely be used in standard donor lungs. Functional results and perioperative outcome are comparable to those achieved with standard donor lung preservation techniques. As an evaluation tool, EVLP allows clinicians to identify and to possibly exclude lungs with functional impairment. Finally, EVLP can safely extend total preservation time.