EVLP cases at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, were investigated to assess the significance of real-time lung weight measurement utilizing the weight sensor incorporated in the XVIVO Perfusion System (XPS).
It was hypothesized that real-time lung weight measurements could detect vascular fluid leakage in injured lungs at early time points during clinical EVLP. Of the 117 EVLP cases, 78 were accepted for transplantation from June 2019 to June 2022, whereas 39 were rejected. The estimated lung weight gain at each time point was calculated using a scale placed under the organ chamber.
The estimated lung weight gain was significantly lower in cases accepted for transplantation than in rejected lungs throughout the EVLP, including the early period of perfusion (measured at 10 and 60 minutes). Furthermore, in transplant cases, the estimated lung weight gain at 60 minutes was markedly higher in cases with PGD grades 2 to 3 than in those with grades 0 to 1
(1 vs -43 g; p < 0.01). This statistical significance was consistently observed at 2 hours, 3 hours, and at the end of perfusion (p < 0.05).
The authors conclude that real-time lung weight measurement could detect extravascular lung water accumulation during the initial 1 hour of EVLP and may be a useful additional predictor of transplant suitability and clinical outcomes.
J Heart Lung Transplant 2024. 43(12): p. 2008-2017 / DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2024.06.013
