But scientists have recently discovered that the lungs have a unique ability to maintain themselves for about an hour after the heart stops beating because they fill with blood saturated with oxygen and the airways fill with air. The man's lungs were injected through the chest with a coolant 65 minutes after he died. The cooling extends the ability of the lungs to survive for at least another 12 hours, Steen said. The lungs were removed after three hours. The recipient has so far survived for five months.
Experts say that if lung transplants fail, it is usually in the first few hours.
This would be a completely new source of donors. The fact that the first case has gone well is very encouraging. Steen said potential new donors include people who die from bleeding brains or those killed in traffic accidents who are brought to the hospital in time for their lungs to be cooled. Kidneys have been transplanted from dead people, but they have been removed from the bodies immediately, Steen said. About half of all deaths in Sweden are caused by heart disease and problems with the blood vessels in the brain, the study said.