Back in Circulation: A Review of the Implementation of Thoracoabdominal Normothermic Regional Perfusion in Donation After Circulatory Death in Lung Transplantation

In the face of a growing mismatch between candidates awaiting transplantation and the supply of conventional donor organs, attention has shifted toward novel methods to increase the donor pool, including the use of donation after circulatory death (DCD) and the refinement of procurement techniques that safeguard graft quality. Thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion (TA-NRP) has emerged as a new strategy, leveraging extracorporeal support to curtail warm-ischemic injury while permitting in situ functional assessment. This review covers the rationale behind the use of TA-NRP, while outlining its use during procurement and the current body of evidence gathered on it implementation in lung transplantation specifically.