Outcomes of DCD liver transplantation using organs treated by hypothermic oxygenated perfusion before implantation

Donation after circulatory death (DCD) organs are increasingly used for liver transplantation, due to the persisting organ shortage and waiting list mortality.1 However, several reports suggest inferior graft survival, increased risk of primary non-function (PNF), and biliary complications in DCD livers, with irreversible ischaemic cholangiopathy (IC) being a major concern.2 Severe forms, requiring retransplantation, typically develop within the first 3 –6 months after liver transplant.3 While the majority of transplant physicians agree that prolonged periods of donor warm ischaemia contribute significantly to this aggressive biliary complication, others argue that other factors including donor and recipient age, cold ischaemia, donor body mass index (BMI) and hepatic steatosis, or technical issues are equally important.

Source: Journal of Hepatology - October 17, 2018 Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Andrea Schlegel, Xavier Muller, Marit Kalisvaart, Beat Muellhaupt, M. Thamara P.R. Perera, John R. Isaac, Pierre-Alain Clavien, Paolo Muiesan, Philipp Dutkowski Source Type: research