A machine that keeps organs working outside the body could save four in five donated lungs that currently go unused in England and Wales.
The UK has one of the poorest lung transplantation rates in the world. NHS Blood and Transplant figures show that 170 patients in the UK, including six children, are waiting for new lungs.
Most adults wait about a year for a transplant, while some wait two years or longer. Up to one in five adults awaiting an urgent transplant die within a year of joining the list, before a suitable lung is found.
Only 23 per cent of donated lungs are currently used. Organs may be declined because of concerns about their condition or because of staffing and operating theatre capacity.
Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends NHS use of the XVIVO perfusion system for four years while its effectiveness and value for money are assessed.
NICE estimates that the system could rescue four in five donated lungs that currently go unused by helping them remain suitable for transplantation, potentially making hundreds more organs available.
Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, healthtech programme director at NICE, said the system should allow more donated lungs that would otherwise be discarded to remain available for transplantation.
She said: “Every donated lung is a precious gift, and right now too many of them never reach a patient who needs them.
“This technology has the potential to change that, giving transplant teams the time and information they need to make the most of organs that would otherwise go unus
The machine warms donated lungs to body temperature and pumps fluid through them that mimics blood plasma.
The lungs are also ventilated to mimic normal breathing. Transplant teams can then monitor how they are functioning, treat infection, drain excess fluid and reinflate collapsed areas.
The system has been trialled at three adult transplant centres, but NICE had not previously endorsed its use across all transplant centres or approved it for children.
The draft guidance aims to ensure that all transplant centres can use the technology, regardless of their size or location.
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Chalkidou said the move reflected wider efforts to improve access “so that where a patient is treated no longer determines whether they can benefit from a transplant”.
Jonathan Blades, head of policy at Asthma + Lung UK, said: “Lung transplant rates in the UK remain lower than in many other developed countries, while respiratory health outcomes remain the worst in Europe.
“Renewed political and research focus is needed to transform lung health in the UK, and this new technology marks an important step towards that ambition.
“We look forward to seeing the results of this trial, which could give more people with serious lung conditions more precious time with their loved ones.
“It could also reduce the number of donated lungs that currently go to waste if they are unsuitable for transplantation.”
Professor Andrew Fisher, a member of the British Transplantation Society and consultant transplant physician at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It’s important that robust evidence is generated that shows exactly how much impact the use of this device has on lung transplant activity and supports timely access to transplant for patients desperately waiting for a suitable organ.”
