Jitte Jennekens, MSc, organ perfusionist/transplant coordinator at the UMC Utrecht in the Netherlands, presented the study results at today’s Annual Meeting and Scientific Sessions of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in Boston.

“This technique is being used to preserve donor livers and kidneys and is being studied in clinical trials for hearts, but it hasn’t gotten that much attention for lung preservation yet,” said Jennekens.

Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a technique that allows for donor lungs to be maintained, assessed, and potentially reconditioned outside of the body before transplantation. The lungs are connected to a pump and a ventilator and perfused with a solution that functions as a physiological fluid.