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Lung Transplant Clinical Trial

 

EVLP Novel Lung Transplant

What's Inside

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    What you're seeing in the video...


    • What happens in ex vivo lung perfusion?
    • Donor Recovery
    • Lungs are removed from donor using traditional recovery techniques and reduced to 4 degrees Celsius (roughly 39.2 degrees F)
    • Cooler temperature helps preserve the lungs once out of the donor's body and before transplantation
    • Hour 1 - once lungs reach UMMC
    • Lungs are set on a rig in the transplant center OR and are connected to 2 tubes to begin perfusing STEENTMSolution thoughout the lungs. (STEENTM Solution acts like blood but without the cells)
    • The inflow tube goes in the pulmonary artery and the outflow tube goes in the left atrium where the pulmonary veins drain
    • Doctors gradually increase the temperature of the STEENTM Solution and slowly start warming the lungs
    • When the STEENTM Solution reaches 32 degrees C (89.6 F), oxygen is pumped into the airways of the lungs while the STEENTM Solution is continuing to be circulated
    • Once temperature reaches 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 F), approximately 1 hour after the lungs were placed in the machine, the system is considered stable and testing begins
    • The following tests are used to assess abnormalities of the lungs and initial effects of the perfusion process:
    • - Bronchoscopy to evaluate the inside of the lungs for abnormalities, such as edema
    • - X-rays to evaluate overall health of lungs
    • - Arterial blood gas tests to evaluate how much oxygen is circulating through the lungs
    • Hour 2
    • Perfusion continues to allow lungs to recover and repair themselves
    • Hour 3
    • Doctors repeat all earlier tests
    • At this point, a decision is made to determine whether or not the lungs are up to UMMC's high standards for a successful transplantation
    • Hour 4
    • Sometimes doctors will decide to perfuse lungs for an extra hour, giving the lungs more time to repair themselves
    • Hour 5
    • Transplant begins or lungs are declined due to unmet quality standards

Meet the Surgeon

Click here to learn more about Dr. Bartley Griffith, Director of Heart and Lung Transplantation at UMMC.

Video

EVLP Novel Lung Transplant:



This page was last updated on: September 8, 2011.

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