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Transplant
Tomorrow’s Cure: Inside EVLP – a revolution for donor organs
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This episode of "Tomorrow's Cure" explores how ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) breaks new ground as a procedure that evaluates lungs outside the body. This procedure could transform an unusable lung into a potential lifesaver.
Mayo Clinic experts John Haney, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon, and Brandi Zofkie, associate vice president at Lung Bioengineering Inc., discuss increasing the viability of available lungs for transplant. The pair explains the differences in available organs like kidneys, livers and lungs. Dr. Haney says lung transplant lists have taken a different shape than other organs. "Currently, there are about 3,300 lung transplants done per year in this country, and each year, about 3,600 people get added to the list," Dr. Haney says.
Lungs remain the hardest organ to place from a donor, in part because they are a sensitive organ with a tissue paper-thin membrane that can be disrupted by infection, fluid overload and many other challenges.
The guests go on to discuss how lung perfusion works and how it carefully checks lungs outside the body to understand their capability. After receiving the lung from the organ procurement organization, the team uses the system to test how the lung distributes oxygen to a test fluid. Through bronchoscopy to see that the lung has stayed dry in the process and X-rays along the way, the team confirms how the lung could function.
Also part of the transplant story is a real understanding of patient concerns, caregiver support and the wait for organs. With innovations like EVLP, the Mayo Clinic team is evolving the ability to evaluate organs and increase the availability of organs for transplant.
The conversation highlights new perspectives in transplant and the cultural shift in transplant thinking that these opportunities bring, from patient care and time investment to the team's entire toolkit for evaluating available organs.
The researchers talk with host Cathy Wurzer about the improvements in transplant and how methods like EVLP create new pathways for patient care.
Listen to the latest episode of "Tomorrow's Cure" wherever you get your podcasts. You can explore the full library of episodes and guests on the show's page.
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