New method makes the smoker’s lungs possible to transplant – Swedish Radio

A Swedish-built machine can heal and keep lungs alive outside the body, which makes the lungs previously discarded can now be used.

The custom-built machine has been donated lungs that previously was rejected for various reasons, for example, that the donor was too old or were long-term smokers, can now be used – with the same chance of survival for the patient as the recipient of the “normal” lungs.

, reveals a study conducted at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, where they compared 22 patients who received the maskien “normalized” lungs with 115 recipients to healthy lungs. The study showed that the 22 patients had as good lung function, the frequency of complications and equal chance of survival.

that the new method works just as well as when using healthy lungs means more patients are given the opportunity to transplant. Something that will mean a lot to those who are waiting for surgery, up to one in ten patients in the queue have time to die while waiting for a new lung.