Successful four-hour heart-lung preservation with core-cooling on cardiopulmonary bypass: a simplified model that assesses preservation.

This study was done to determine whether core-cooling could provide extended cardiopulmonary preservation and if reimplantation could be simulated and evaluated in the ex vivo autoperfused working heart-lung model. Twenty calves were divided into four groups and placed on cardiopulmonary bypass and rapidly cooled to 15 degrees C. Control heart and lungs were harvested after administration of cardioplegia through the aortic root and were subsequently resuscitated in the autoperfused working heart-lung circuit (group 1) or were orthotopically allotransplanted (group 2). Preserved heart and lungs were similarly excised but stored in a normal saline solution bath at 4 degrees C for 4 hours and then were resuscitated in the autoperfusion circuit (group 3) or were orthotopically allotransplanted (group 4). All groups received isoproterenol during explantation and reperfusion and were studied for 4 hours. Myocardial function was assessed by sonomicrometric techniques, and pulmonary preservation was evaluated by measurements of extravascular lung water, arterial oxygen tension on 100% inspired oxygen, and pulmonary vascular resistance. Cardiorespiratory function after 4-hour static preservation was similar in all four groups except that the arterial oxygen tension in group 1 was lower compared with group 3. Core-cooling on cardiopulmonary bypass without pulmonary artery flushing results in cold ischemic heart-lung preservation, comparable to other currently used modalities. In addition, reperfusion in the ex vivo autoperfusion circuit provides a simplified model to assess the adequacy of cardiopulmonary preservation techniques.