'Breathing lung' transplant successful.

• Position: Organ Transplants - Brief article

Surgeons have performed a "breathing lung" transplant using a portable machine that provides a constant supply of blood and nutrients to donor organs, which doctors indicate has the potential to keep them healthier and viable for longer than ever before.

The double-lung transplant was performed at the University of Pittsburgh (Pa.) Medical Center using the Organ Care System (OCS).This was the first time the device had been used on the East Coast. The patient, a 53-year-old man, was sufferling from pulmonary fibrosis and hypertension.

Traditionally, donor lungs are cooled and stored on ice with no blood circulation, a process that essentially puts them to sleep. Once removed from a blood supply, though, the lungs can deteriorate rapidly, which can lead to complications for the recipient or, in some cases, the determination that the organs no longer are viable. Using the OCS device, the lungs are placed immediately in the machine after donation, where they are kept at body temperature and functioning while in transit to the recipient.

"Unfortunately, many people...