LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Surgeons at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridgeshire performed a breakthrough lung transplant using a novel machine, nicknamed 'lungs in a box', which keeps lungs alive outside the human body.
Daniel Evans-Smith from Northampton received a double lung transplant using the XPS system, making it the first operation in the UK to pilot the use of the new machine.
The 49-year-old events manager was suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition that causes breathing difficulties and limits normal activities.
'I feel very privileged to have been offered the opportunity to be in this situation,' Evans-Smith stated. 'Last year it was discussed that I may soon need palliative care. Without having a lung transplant soon, the likelihood was that I wouldn't survive much longer.'
The innovative device comprises of a bubble-like chamber, containing a series of pumps and filters to repair, recondition and revitalize the lungs before they are transplanted into patients.
The machine follows a technique called ex vivo lung perfusion, helping to recondition the donated lungs which are categorized as inflamed or in a poor condition.
After removing the lungs from the donor, they are placed in ice and transferred to the recipient's hospital, where they are attached to the machine, allowing the lungs to inflate and deflate. A special fluid is utilized to maintain the normal function of the lungs, helping to preserve it for upto six hours.
'The rapidly changing landscape of UK organ donation has seen a significant shift in the ability to assess donor lungs. Ex vivo lung perfusion allows clinicians to ensure the delivery of high-quality organs to patients on the waiting list.' Dr Jas Parmar, Transplant Consultant at the Royal Papworth explained.
Prof Derek Manas, NHS blood and transplant medical director, expect the technology to 'enable more transplants by improving organ function' as the number of people waiting for a lung transplant in the UK significantly outweighs the number of suitable donors.
'We are grateful for the work to improve transplantation technology and techniques but most of all grateful to the patients and families who agree to save and improve lives through organ donation,' Manas added.
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