Obtaining a healthy liver for transplantation is a major challenge. It is not always possible to find a suitable liver from a deceased donor.

In such cases, it becomes essential to find alternative solutions to make sure the liver remains viable throughout the transplantation procedure.

A team of researchers from the University of Chicago – who have built an innovative device, known as the ex situ perfusion machine – has recently come up with a new solution to this daunting problem.

The device is specially designed to preserve a liver outside the body for up to 24 hours, greatly enhancing the chances of successful transplantation.

The Ex Situ Perfusion Machine – How it Works

The ex situ perfusion machine is a device designed to extracorporeally preserve a liver in an ex vivo environment. The device is a complex machine with a single aim – to keep the liver ‘alive’ outside of a body.

It works by circulating a blood-like solution through the organ, therefore providing it with the nutrients, oxygen and other factors necessary to maintain its health and structure.

The machine is first connected directly to the liver’s blood vessels. Blood is then slowly pumped into the machine, which is then circulated through a series of filters to remove waste products that would otherwise harm the liver.

Once it has circulated through the machine, cleaned and oxygenated, the blood is pumped back into the liver. The machine is temperature controlled to match the liver’s own temperature to ensure it remains in tip-top condition.

Benefits of Ex Situ Perfusion Machine

The use of ex situ perfusion machines brings a plethora of benefits that traditional organ preservation methods can’t provide. The machine is designed to maintain the liver outside the body in a state of suspended animation.

While in the machine, the liver is kept in optimal condition, which makes it possible to keep the liver outside a human body for more extended periods. Additionally, the use of the machine also provides some advantages to the patient undergoing the transplantation, including:.

Improved liver quality

With the help of the ex situ perfusion machine, the quality of the liver can be improved. By using the machine, surgeons can perform assessments to ensure that the organ’s condition and performance are optimal.

This guarantees that the liver will function as it should once it is transplanted into the recipient.

Increased number of available livers

By prolonging the duration for which livers can be preserved, ex situ perfusion machines help to greatly increase the number of organs available for transplantation.

This ultimately helps in reducing waiting times for patients and reduces the potential wastage of essential organs.

Reduction in complications

The ex situ perfusion machine can help to dramatically lessen the risk of complications during routine transplantation of livers.

For instance, it can help to prevent ischemic reperfusion injury, a medical condition that occurs after a period of oxygen deprivation.

The Future of Liver Transplantation

The ex situ perfusion machine is a ground-breaking invention that has the potential to revolutionize the future of liver transplantation. With this innovative technology, both transplant effectiveness and efficiency can be substantially improved.

The machine has already been tested in clinical trials and has been found to be exceptionally effective.

In one study, nine of the ten livers preserved using the ex situ machine were found to be suitable for transplantation, which is a considerable improvement over conventional liver preservation methods.

Though still in its early stages, experts believe that ex situ perfusion machines have the potential to reduce the number of deaths due to diseases that require liver transplantation.

Additionally, it can be used as a possible alternative to living donor liver transplantation.

Conclusion

The development and introduction of the ex situ perfusion machine represents a significant milestone in medical science.

The device is still relatively early in development, but successive positive results in clinical trials demonstrate that it has a bright future ahead in the field of liver preservation. The use of ex situ perfusion machines is expected to increase the number of livers available for transplantation and improve transplant outcomes, resulting in a more significant number of lives saved.

As more studies are carried out on ex situ perfusion machines, we can expect this technology to become prevalent in the field of medicine.