Florida Lung Doctor’s bring you some of the latest news on lung transplants and lung transplant research this week.
One of the most difficult and heart breaking problems associated with lung transplants is the difficulty of obtaining and maintaining the donor’s lungs before transplanting them into their new owners.
The University of Texas is continuing research and patient care in regards to this problem. Let’s take a peek into their surgical suite:
There “they” sit, all pink and pretty and perfused, under a crystal clear dome in the operating suite. They are so perfect they do not look real. Were you to see them, you would think they were props manufactured for a science fiction film or an educational training movie.
Yet, these beautiful lungs are real and they have been prepared for their new owner through technological advances in Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) procedures.
“Currently, more than 70 percent of potential donor lungs are deemed unusable,” said Dr. Fernando Torres, Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of the Lung Transplantation Program at UT Southwestern.
It is true that normally, one in three sets of donated lungs can be assessed as viable, but EVLP is changing that. Lungs are delicate, and the fragile organs are often damaged irreparably. Damage often occurs with disease, brain death of the donor or life saving techniques in ICU. Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion allows for the assessment and repair of more donated lungs.
Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP): Innovations for Transplantation
To put it simply, EVLP is an “innovative therapy applied to donor lungs outside of the body before transplantation…” Let’s look at some of steps of the procedure.
1. The shortage of donor lungs causes 20 percent of the lung transplant candidates to die while they are waiting.
2. The process of using EVLP involves 3 – 4 hours after the lungs are extracted from the donor. The first step is that the donated lungs are housed in a sterile dome.
3. The lungs are attached to a ventilator, pump and filters. “The lungs are warmed. They are flushed of the donor’s blood, inflammatory cells and potentially harmful biological factors.”
Likewise they receive antibiotics, as well as anti-inflammatory agents.
4. The donated lungs are kept at normal body temperature and they are constantly treated with a solution of nutrient protein and oxygen. There is a two-fold advantage to this part of the procedure: Some lung injuries can be reversed and excess lung water is removed.
5. During the hours before transplant, lung processes and structures are constantly evaluated. Once the lungs have passed required tests, they can be transplanted into the waiting, hopeful patient. No one wants a patient to go through a lung transplant only to receive unhealthy and unviable lungs.
Dr. Fernando Torres, Professor of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of the Lung Transplantation Program at UT Southwestern stated, “We can see how well these lungs inflate and deflate.” We can evaluate “how well gas exchange is happening…” Referring to lungs that previously could not have been used due to injuries, Dr. Torres added, “some of these lungs will be found to be suitable for transplant.”
The doctors and staff of Florida Lung Asthma and Sleep Specialist sincerely hope that neither you nor someone you love ever needs a lung transplant. We realize that this is a fascinating topic for general information. As always, the FLASS blog makes an effort to bring you some of the latest and greatest research and patient care information. Join us in the next blog for Part Two of the story of EVLP and lung transplant.
A Heart-felt Message
The doctors and staff of FLASS would like to express how deeply we were affected by the recent tragic events in our home town of Orlando, Florida. Our hearts go out in sympathy to the families and friends of the victims and to the thousands of mourners across Orlando, Florida and the United States.
We are also proud and grateful for the outpouring of generosity in money, blood, flowers, vigils, light displays, time and talent from Orlando and the World. We send back our prayers for peace and courage. Please take comfort from these reflective words by an anonymous author:
The tide recedes but leaves behind
bright sea shells on the sand.
The sun goes down, but gentle
warmth still lingers on the land.
The music stops, yet it echos
On in sweet refrains…
For every joy that passes,
something beautiful remains.
