The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 42, 394-398, Copyright © 1986 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Experimental en bloc double-lung transplantation
JH Dark, GA Patterson, AN Al-Jilaihawi, H Hsu, T Egan and JD Cooper
A technique of en bloc double-lung transplantation through a median
sternotomy has been developed. Hypothermic circulatory arrest was used
after surface cooling in 7 puppies (mean weight, 3.1 kg; range, 1.5 to 4.1
kg). A double lung block, consisting of the two lungs, distal trachea, the
main pulmonary artery, and a large cuff of left atrium, was removed from
weight-matched donors. After the arrest of the circulation by inflow
occlusion, bilateral pneumonectomies were performed in the recipient. The
donor double-lung block was then implanted with anastomoses at the distal
trachea, the posterior left atrium, and the main pulmonary artery. All
animals were successfully rewarmed and had excellent hemodynamic function
and gas exchange for periods of up to 24 hours. If primate experiments with
long-term survival confirm these initial results, this procedure may have a
role in the treatment of patients with end-stage respiratory disease but
acceptable cardiac function.