Harvesting a well-preserved and undamaged pair of donor lungs is vital for a good outcome after a lung transplant. This video shows the authors’ retrieval technique, which has been standardized and is easy to follow and fully reproducible by fellows with minimal assistance.
The goals of a donor lung retrieval include:
1. Careful assessment of lungs, including bronchoscopy, inspection, palpation, and blood gas analysis.
2. Meticulous dissection so as to have an undamaged organ with adequate vascular cuffs, uninjured tracheobronchial tree, and minimal to no parenchymal damage at the end of the retrieval.
3. Careful preservation of lungs using anterograde and retrograde perfusion with organ preserving solutions.
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Super Job! Fascinating!