New NHS machine could give more patients chance of lung transplants
- A new machine designed to keep donated lungs alive outside the body is set to be introduced on the NHS in the UK.
- This technology aims to significantly increase the number of usable organs for transplant, offering hope to approximately 170 people, including six children, currently awaiting a new lung.
- Currently, only 23 per cent of suitable donated lungs are utilised, but the machine could potentially rescue four in five of those currently unused by allowing transplant teams to treat and monitor them.
- The machine functions by warming lungs to body temperature, circulating a fluid similar to blood plasma and ventilating them to mimic natural breathing, enabling treatment of infections and other issues.
- Draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends the machine’s use for four years to gather further evidence on its benefits and cost-effectiveness.
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