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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Left Lung Orthotopic Transplantation in a Juvenile Porcine Model for ESLP
Published on: February 14, 2022
The presence of a local lung transplant center increases lung procurement rates
John P McVicar1, Timothy E Albertson, Christoph Troppmann
1Department of Surgery, University of California-Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.
Background:
The availability of cadaveric organs is the major problem in transplantation today.
Methods:
A retrospective review of donors in a single organ procurement organization (OPO) was performed. Donors were divided into three eras: before, during, and after the presence of a local lung transplant program. Lung procurement rates by OPO in the United States in 1999 and 2000 were also retrospectively reviewed.
Results:
Lung transplant rates were higher in the presence of a local lung program: 4.9% at baseline, 19.1% with a local program, and 7.1% after closure of the local lung program (P<0.01). In the United States, 12.4% of lungs available in OPOs with local lung programs are transplanted, versus 8.9% in OPOs without a local program (P<.001).
Conclusions:
Even if donor management protocols are maintained, closure of a local lung program decreases lung recovery rates. This observation supports the importance of maintaining local programs to maximize organ recovery rates.
