Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion Versus Static Cold Storage for Marginal Graft

Our national single-center study, interventional with medical device, exploratory and safety, will be assessed the optimal graft preservation, liver and kidney, from marginal donors ECD (Expanded Criteria Donors), using hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (PIO) compared to the static cold storage that is the preservation control method of custom. PIO will be applied to 10 ECD liver transplants and 10 ECD kidney transplants that meet the inclusion criteria.

The marginal graft will be perfused with oxygenated solution of preservation at 4°C for two hours with Exiper, Bologna Machine Perfusion, developed by Medica s.p.a and our research group.

Flow and pressure values will be set up for the kidney and liver perfusion, otherwise. The oxygenation of solution will be performed by an oxygenator and a filter for decapneization / oxygenation. During the perfusion the oxygen pressure will be required between 600-750 mmHg (pO2 80-100 Kpa), as reported in the scientific literature. The pH, lactate concentration, and oxygen (PO2) and carbon dioxide (PCO2) partial pressure were measured in the preservation solution at T0 and T1 by means of a standard haemogasanalyzer.

After transplantation, the recipients will be monitored clinically to assess the graft function. The liver's data will be compared with similar case treated with SCS in our centre of transplant, retrospectively; instead, the kidney's data will be compared with the "twin" organ transplanted without PIO, prospectively.

Inclusion criteria

• Kidney donor: ECD.
• Kidney recipient: single or dual kidney transplant recipients at our center, provided consent.
• Liver donor: ECD
• Liver recipient: liver transplant recipients at our center, provided consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Kidney donor: no ECD, donor with vascular anatomical abnormalities and/or urinary tract, donor with a risk infection, to increase cold ischemia time can not be avoided.
• Kidney recipient: patients with severe atherosclerotic vascular disease, pathologies predisposing to the onset of intra-operative surgical complications, such as thrombophilia and hemophilia, antigenic incompatibility with donor determining the acute rejection of the organ; patients waiting for kidney transplant pre-emptive, multi-organ transplant, retransplantation.
• Liver donor: no ECD, donor with vascular anatomical abnormalities, donor with a risk infection, to increase cold ischemia time can not be avoided.
• Liver recipient: patients with acute liver disease and with vascular abnormalities and/or biliary tract requiring non-conventional reconstructive techniques, patients waiting for multi-organ transplant, retransplantation, urgency transplant ( or with MELD>30).