Objective: Hungarian patients undergo lung transplantation within bilateral cooperation in Vienna, Austria since 1995. Lung harvesting was introduced in 2002 in Hungary. Before 2002 Hungarian patients get 16 donor lungs from abroad, and 4 patients died while being on the waiting list for transplantation.
Methods: Between 15/1/2002 and 31/12/2003 Hungarotransplant offered 164 potential lung donors to the Korányi National Institute for Pulmonology. Donor selection was performed according to international guidelines. All operations were performed as part of multiorgan harvesting. Immediately before cross clamping the aorta 500 microg epoprostenol (Flolan) was administered intravenously for opening the pulmonary vascular bed. The lung was perfused through the main pulmonary trunk with a single flush of 6 litre 4 degrees C extra cellular type low potassium dextran solution (Perfadex). During the perfusion both thoraces were cooled topical by 0.9% saline ice slush. After back table separation the donor lungs was packed and transported with topical cooling.
Results: The offer was refused in 27 cases due to donor history, in 31 cases due to allograft pathology. In 57 cases the harvesting was not performed due to logistic reasons. Forty three donor lungs have been transplanted, 6 harvested lungs underwent only histopathology. From 43 harvested lungs 41 bilateral and 3 single lung transplant procedures were performed. The mean cold ischaemic time (=CIT) was 3 75 +/- 50 minutes (range: 230-560 min). Forty two donor lungs showed excellent primary graft function. One allograft underwent down-sizing lobectomy, where the histology of the specimen showed multiple microembolization, and signs of fibrosis, bronchiolitis and anthracosis. In this case the cold ischaemic time was 385 min. The patient needed an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support immediately postoperatively, and died on the 4th postoperative day. After induction of lung harvesting in Hungary the average waiting time of Hungarian citizens dropped within one year from 14 +/- 8 weeks (range: 2-36 weeks) to 2.6 +/- 1.3 weeks (range: 1-4 weeks). In 2002 3 Hungarian patients died while being on the waiting list, their waiting time was 1, 1, and 7 days. In 2003 the waiting list mortality for Hungarian patients was 0%.
Conclusions: After the introduction of lung harvesting both the waiting time and the waiting list mortality for Hungarian patients decreased. The potential yearly lung donor pool of Hungary is in the range of 5/1 million people.