A specialist machine that keeps donated lungs alive outside the body has been conditionally recommended in draft NICE guidance in a move that could unlock hundreds of organs for transplants. With only 1 in 5 donated lungs currently considered suitable for use, the introduction of the XVIVO Perfusion System for a 4-year period while evidence is generated, could benefit hundreds of NHS patients. An independent NICE committee has recommended the technology can be used so that evidence can be generated to addressany benefits and costs that have not been fully captured in the current evidence base and economic evaluation.
UK NICE · July 28, 2026
XVIVO Perfusion System for lung preservation: conditional NICE recommendation
Original title: New lung preservation machine could make hundreds of unused donor lungs available for transplant
NICE conditionally recommends the XVIVO Perfusion System for lung preservation outside the body for 4 years while evidence is generated.
Published by UK NICE. HealthSignal links to the original document; the summary above is extracted from the source text.