Thoracic Duct Drainage

Allograft rejection continues to be the major obstacle to obtaining a successful graft in spite of significant strides having been made in the areas of histocompatibility, organ preservation, and immunosuppression. At the Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, we have used thoracic duct drainage (TDD) as a means of immunologically preparing a select group of patients for transplantation. This report presents our clinical experience with this therapeutic modality during the past 10 years.