The UK has one of the poorest lung transplantation rates globally, with 170 patients currently awaiting new lungs through the NHS, according to NHS Blood and Transplant data. Most adults experience wait times of one year or longer, and up to a fifth of those requiring urgent transplants die within a year of joining the waiting list before receiving a suitable organ.
Only 23% of all donated lungs are currently utilized in the UK. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued draft guidance recommending the XVIVO perfusion system for use across NHS transplant centres over a four-year evaluation period. The technology is estimated to preserve four in five donated lungs that are presently discarded, extending their viability for up to six hours and potentially unlocking hundreds of organs for transplantation.
The machine functions by warming donated lungs to body temperature while circulating a fluid that mimics blood plasma through the organs and ventilating them to replicate normal breathing. This process enables transplant teams to assess organ function, address infections, remove excess fluid, and reinflate collapsed sections. Although the system has undergone trials at three adult transplant centres, the draft guidance marks the first recommendation for broader implementation across all NHS transplant facilities and approval for use in pediatric cases.
Health advocates and transplant specialists have expressed support for the development. Representatives from Asthma + Lung UK emphasized that the UK’s transplant rates remain lower than many developed nations and noted that improving lung health represents a priority. Medical professionals have called for generating robust evidence regarding the device’s impact on transplant activity and patient access to organs.
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