An Update on Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion in Pulmonary Transplantation

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Lung transplantation provides quality of life and survival benefits for patients with end-stage lung disease. However, the demand for donor lungs continues to exceed the supply. Using standard selection criteria, only 20% of lungs from solid organ donors are currently used for lung transplant. Ex vivo lung perfusion may provide a means to evaluate and to potentially rehabilitate marginal donor lungs prior to transplantation.

Recent Findings

Outcomes after transplantation of marginal lungs evaluated using ex vivo lung perfusion, after initially being declined using standard criteria, have been reported to be equivalent in several studies to outcomes after transplant using standard donor lungs. Ex vivo lung perfusion has also been used successfully in the evaluation of lungs in donation after cardiac death donors, another potential source for increasing the donor pool.

Summary

This review provides an update on recent experience and results of transplantation after ex vivo lung perfusion, ongoing clinical trials, as well as future directions and ways ex vivo lung perfusion, may increase the availability of donor lungs.

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