Selection of the Donor: Excision and Storage of the Lungs

The expansion of organ transplantation over the last 10 years has led to an increasing shortage of suitable organs1. In an effort to meet this need, centralized registries of urgent potential recipients were developed to ensure access to donors at distant sites. This program was able to expand as improved means of donor organ preservation were formulated. However, the demand for organ donors has exceeded the supply despite an intense educational campaign aimed at both the public and the profession. As a result, the maximum number of transplantable organs must be retrieved from every available donor.