Current opinion in organ transplantation
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Curr Opin Organ Transplant · Apr 2010
ReviewThoracic organs: current preservation technology and future prospects; part 1: lung.
The critical organ shortage has forced lung transplant teams to extend their donor criteria, thereby compromising a good early outcome in the recipient. Better preservation solutions for longer storage are welcomed to further reduce incidence of primary graft dysfunction. New ex-vivo techniques to assess and to condition lungs prior to transplantation are hoped to increase the number of available pulmonary grafts. ⋯ New extracellular preservation solutions have contributed in decreasing the incidence of primary graft dysfunction over the last decade leaving more room to extend the donor criteria and ischemic time. Ex-vivo lung perfusion is now on the horizon as a potential method to prolong the preservation time and to resuscitate lungs of inferior quality.