Better understanding of the mechanisms of ischemia-reperfusion injury, improvement in the technique of lung preservation, and the recent introduction of a new preservation solution specifically developed for the lungs have helped to reduce the incidence of primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation. Currently, the limitation in extending the ischemic time is more often related to the increasing use of non-ideal lung donors rather than to poor lung preservation. In this review, we have focused our attention on the experimental and clinical work performed to optimize the methods of lung preservation from the time of retrieval to the period of reperfusion after graft implantation.