Preservación pulmonar: trasplantes sin límite de tiempo ni distancia

One of the great obstacles for organ transplantation is the time in which the ischemic organ can be preserved in a viable state before being implanted. With the use of the standard static cold preservation technique (4 °C) preservation times are limited to 6-8 hours, a time known as cold ischemia time. This begins from the moment the “cross-clamp” or complete cessation of circulation in the donor is performed until the organ is irrigated in the recipient.

Preclinical and clinical studies have recently been published demonstrating benefits of graft conservation at 10 °C compared to standard storage, in addition to allowing ischemia times to be prolonged with the same safety standards for the recipient. These new lines of development aim to facilitate the logistics of lung transplantation, transforming it from an emergency surgery to a semi-elective surgical procedure, a change that has demonstrated benefits in surgical safety and even in implant survival results.