Excellent long-term results after transplantation of uncontrolled lungs donated after circulatory death
Over recent years Spain has enjoyed a unique reputation for utilization of uncontrolled lungs after circulatory death. The Santander group (Suberviola et al, 2018)(5) recently published excellent long-term results (up to five years) after the successful transplantation of 8 of 9 uDCD lungs.
Mean “no flow” time was around 10 minutes, mean time from cardiac arrest to topical cooling was 96.8 minutes, mean cold preservation time with PERFADEX 159 mins and mean total ischemic time 678 mins. Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) was used to assess lung function prior to transplantation in two cases. PGD grade 3 was observed in two cases (25%) and one-month, one-year and five-year survival rates were 100%, 87.5% and 87.5%, respectively.
The authors claim that their secrets for success include strict selection criteria, and use of a simple and effective preservation technique.
References:
5. Suberviola B, et al. Excellent long-term outcome with lungs obtained from uncontrolled donation after circulatory death. Am J Transplant. 2018 Dec 23. doi: 10.1111/ajt.15237. (link to abstract)
Xvivo Insights PB-2019-02-04
