Alternative technique for salvage of donor lungs with insufficient atrial cuffs.

Inadequate left atrial cuff surrounding donor pulmonary veins may present a technical challenge for successful lung transplantation. A simple technique for construction of venous anastomoses during lung transplantation when donor atrial cuff is lacking involves circumferential incorporation of surrounding donor pericardium into the anastomosis without directly suturing or augmenting donor venous structures.