The conduct of thoracic organ procurement

Transplantation has become the gold-standard treatment for endstage heart and lung failure. A well-executed procurement process is the cornerstone of a successful transplant program and patient outcome after transplantation. The aim of this review was to describe a standardized protocol and guidelines for optimal thoracic organ procurement. Here, we describe all aspects of optimal thoracic organ procurement including the intraoperative conduct of the teams, operative steps, graft preservation, transportation, and pitfalls. We believe that a standardized protocol helps in streamlining and minimizing errors, provides optimal training for junior members of the team, and predetermines graft function postimplantation.