Case report: double lung en bloc procurement from a donor after arterial switch operation

Area of Science:

• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Transplantation Medicine
• Organ Donation

Background:

• Increasing organ donor shortages necessitate exploring all potential donor pools.
• Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is a critical source, but prior cardiac conditions can be perceived as contraindications.
• Previous cardiac surgery presents unique challenges for thoracic organ procurement.

Observation:

• This report details the successful procurement of double lungs en bloc.
• The donor had undergone an arterial switch operation (ASO) in infancy.
• This represents the first documented case of lung procurement from an ASO donor.

Findings:

• Lungs from select donors with a history of cardiac surgery, including ASO, are viable for transplantation.
• En bloc procurement technique was successfully applied.
• The viability of organs from this donor pool can be confirmed through careful donor selection and surgical expertise.

Implications:

• Expanding the donor criteria to include individuals with prior cardiac surgery can significantly increase the availability of thoracic organs.
• This case highlights the potential to overcome perceived contraindications, thereby saving more lives.
• Further research into the long-term outcomes of transplants from such donors is warranted.