Procurement for combined heart-lung transplantation. Bilateral thoracotomy with sternal transection, cardiopulmonary bypass, and profound hypothermia.

A bilateral thoracotomy with cardiopulmonary bypass and profound hypothermia has become our preferred method of procurement of organs for combined heart-lung transplantation and has replaced the sternotomy without cardiopulmonary bypass as initially used. This technique has provided good exposure and has facilitated dissection and hemostasis of the posterior aspect of the middle mediastinum.