HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Konrad F.W. Messmer Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Loehe, F. Articles by Schildberg, F. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Loehe, F. Articles by Schildberg, F. W.

Ann Thorac Surg 2000;69:1556-1562
© 2000 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original articles: General thoracic

Pulmonary graft function after long-term preservation of non-heart-beating donor lungs

^a Department of Surgery, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
^b Institute of Pathology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany
^c Institute for Surgical Research, University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Address reprint requests to Dr Loehe, Department of Surgery, University of Munich, Marchioninistr 15, D-81377 Munich, Germany;
e-mail: floehe{at}gch.med.uni-muenchen.de

Background. Critical organ shortage in lung transplantation could be attenuated by the use of non-heart-beating donor (NHBD) lungs. In addition, prolonged ischemic tolerance of the organs would contribute to the alleviation of organ shortage. The aim of this study was to investigate pulmonary graft function of NHBD lungs after long-term hypothermic storage.

Methods. Twelve native-bred pigs (bodyweight 20 to 30 kg) underwent left lung allotransplantation. In the heart-beating donor (HBD) group, lungs were harvested immediately after cardiac arrest. In the NHBD group, lungs were subjected to a warm ischemic period of 90 minutes before harvesting. After a total ischemic time of 19 hours, pulmonary grafts in both groups were reperfused and pulmonary graft function was assessed. All values were compared with a sham-operated control group.

Results. Pulmonary graft function in the HBD group was excellent. In the NHBD group, pulmonary gas exchange was impaired, but still provided good graft function compared with the excellent graft function in the HBD group. Pulmonary vascular resistance was even lower in the NHBD group. In the NHBD group, calculated intrapulmonary shunt fraction (Q_s/Q_t) was significantly increased compared with the sham-group. Histologic alteration and wet-to-dry ratio did not differ significantly between the HBD and NHBD group.

Conclusions. We conclude that NHBD lungs (90 minutes of warm ischemic time) have the potential to alleviate organ shortage in lung transplantation even after an extended total ischemic time.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Inokawa, M. Sevala, W. K. Funkhouser, and T. M. Egan Ex-vivo perfusion and ventilation of rat lungs from non-heart-beating donors before transplant. Ann. Thorac. Surg., October 1, 2006; 82(4): 1219 - 1225. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. R. Rega, A. P. Neyrinck, G. M. Verleden, T. E. Lerut, and D. E. M. Van Raemdonck How long can we preserve the pulmonary graft inside the nonheart-beating donor? Ann. Thorac. Surg., February 1, 2004; 77(2): 438 - 444. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. R Rega, E. J Vandezande, N. C Jannis, G. M Verleden, T. E Lerut, and D. E. Van Raemdonck The role of leukocyte depletion in ex vivo evaluation of pulmonary grafts from (non-)heart-beating donors Perfusion, January 1, 2003; 18(1_suppl): 13 - 21. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J.D. Aitchison, H.E. Orr, P.A. Flecknell, J.A. Kirby, and J.H. Dark Functional assessment of non-heart-beating donor lungs: prediction of post-transplant function Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., July 1, 2001; 20(1): 187 - 194. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]