Pre-reading questions:
- Do you catch cold every year? How often?
- What do you usually do when you are sick?
- Have you tried donating your blood?
Lung transplant is a critical operation. Doctors rush to finish the procedure within six hours before the lungs expire. A technique called Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion (EVLP) has been developed. This technique keeps the lungs safe for over 12 hours. It means the organ can be transported to far hospitals in need of the organ.
The lungs are removed from the donor and must be put on ice. It will undergo EVLP when transported to the hospital. The process warms up the lungs. Oxygen with proteins and nutrients are pumped into it. If the lungs did not go through EVLP, it will only last for six to eight hours outside the human body.
Vocabulary:
critical – [adjective] extremely important
perfusion – [noun] the injection of fluid into a blood vessel
transport – [verb] to carry something from one place to another
rush – [verb] to move or do something very quickly
technique – [noun] a way of doing something by using special knowledge or skill
Comprehension Questions:
- Why is a lung transplant a critical operation?
- What is the name of the new technique discovered by the doctors?
- How many hours would this technique keep the lungs safe?
- How does EVLP work?
- What will happen if the lungs do not go through EVLP?
Express Your Opinion:
- The lungs are removed from the donor and placed on ice.
- Transferring of one’s organ to another person.
- Imagine that you are to receive lungs from another person. Kindly discuss what you would feel before and after the lung transplant.