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Invited Review

Cryopreserved Tracheal Grafts: A Review of the Literature

, MSc, , MD, , MD, , MSc, , MD, , MD, , MD & , MD show all
Pages 125-135 | Received 08 Feb 2005, Accepted 03 Nov 2005, Published online: 09 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

Cryopreserved tracheal grafts have been used in several experimental models of long segment replacement. The clinical application of the procedure has been limited due to the fact that contradictory results have been reported. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the literature on tracheal cryopreservation. Despite the fact that most authors indicate that cryopreserved tracheal allografts retain viability and have a low immunological response, though they continue to function after transplantation with good epithelialization and patency, cryopreservation leads to significant damage to cartilage, the degree of which is based on the freezing–storage methods that affect the function and durability of a graft. The long-term storage of cartilage must therefore be investigated in more detail in basic research models of cartilage viability: the evaluation of chondrocyte apoptosis, and the use of different solutions for tracheal cryopreservation other than RPMI-1640, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's, Eurocollins, and TC-199. Furthermore, problems that involve improving the blood supply to the graft after extensive resection and immunosuppression must be resolved before tracheal cryopreservation can become a clinically established method for tracheal grafts.

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