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UK First: Lungs Boosted Before Life-Saving Transplant
20 Aug
Summary
- NHS leads world with lung perfusion tech, boosting organ supply.
- First transplant recipient discharged; hundreds of lives to be saved.
- Innovation may increase usable donor organs by 20% annually.
The NHS is pioneering a world-first scheme utilizing ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) to enhance donor lungs, a breakthrough that could save hundreds of lives annually. This innovative method involves pumping oxygenated blood and nutrients into donated lungs, essentially allowing them to "breathe" outside the body.
This assessment and boosting process, conducted at specialized Assessment and Recovery Centres (ARCs), reassures surgeons about organ function, potentially increasing the number of usable donor organs by 20%. This advancement is projected to enable an additional 750 transplants each year.
The first successful lung transplant under this national pilot occurred after lungs were boosted at Royal Papworth Hospital and then transplanted at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. The recipient has since been discharged, demonstrating the efficacy of this collaborative and innovative approach.
This initiative addresses the critical need to reduce the record-high NHS transplant waiting list, where nearly 5,000 people have died in the past decade while waiting for a life-saving organ. The program aims to make lung perfusion technology widely available across the country.
