Outcomes of a first clinical normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) UK liver trial demonstrated feasibility and clear safety, with improved liver function when compared to standard static cold storage (SCS).

Purpose: Our aim was to perform a clinical liver ex vivo pilot trial, in the North American setting, using identical NMP technology.

Methods: Ten donor liver grafts were procured, 4 (40%) from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors. Nine were transplanted, with one liver discarded due to a technical failure with portal vein cannulation.

Results: Transplanted NMP grafts were matched 1:3 with transplanted SCS livers. Median NMP duration was 11.5 hours (range: 3.3 – 22.5) with one DCD liver perfused for 22.5 hours. All transplanted livers functioned, and serum transaminases, bilirubin, INR land lactate levels corrected in NMP recipients similarly to controls. Thirty-day (primary outcome) graft survival was not statistically different between groups, on an intent-to-treat basis (p=0.25). Intensive care and hospital stays were significantly more prolonged in the NMP group .

Conslusion: This experience demonstrates the feasibility of clinical ex vivo liver perfusion, as well as the potential technical risks, and highlights a need for larger, randomized studies.

CITATION INFORMATION: Bral M, Gala-Lopez B, Bigam D, Kneteman N, Malcolm A, Livingstone S, Andres A, Emamaullee J, West L, Friend P, Shapiro A. Preliminary Results of Clinical Normothermic Ex Vivo Liver Perfusion in a North American Setting. Am J Transplant. 2017;17 (suppl 3).

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