Inside EVLP: A Revolution for Donor Organs

For people waiting for a lung transplant, every phone call could be life changing. But too many donor lungs are still turned down. In this episode of Tomorrow’s Cure from Mayo Clinic, host Cathy Wurzer explores how ex vivo lung perfusion, or EVLP, is helping turn a “no” into a “maybe” and sometimes a “yes” for patients who are running out of options.

Cathy talks with Mayo Clinic cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jack Haney and Brandi Zofkie, Associate Vice President at Lung Bioengineering, about how EVLP keeps lungs alive outside the body so experts can better evaluate and sometimes improve them before transplant. They discuss real patient impact, the logistics of making this technology available to more centers and the honest challenges that still remain.
Listeners will hear why this innovation matters now and what it could mean for the future of lung transplantation, from expanding the donor pool to offering more second chances to breathe.

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