Lung Protection in Donation after Circulatory Death with Thoracoabdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) has expanded the lung transplantation donor pool akin to other solid organ transplants, and thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) of DCD lung allografts is a growing area of study. There remain some concerns regarding the impact of TA-NRP on DCD lung allograft pulmonary edema and subsequent development of primary graft dysfunction impacting graft and recipient survival and postoperative lung function. Here we present a review article discussing the existing literature on DCD lung transplantation, with a focus on TA-NRP recovery, and lung protection strategies during DCD lung recovery with TA-NRP.