Study to Test New Pump for Preserving Kidneys Until Transplant

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are about to begin a major study designed to determine whether a new portable pump known as a perfusion machine does a better job of preserving kidneys from cadavers than storing them on ice until they can be transplanted.

When a kidney is donated, most at present are transported in a cooler, preserved in a cold solution for the 12-to-24 hours that they remain outside the body until they can be transplanted into a waiting patient.

But several major centers hook cadaver kidneys to perfusion machines that pump special fluids through the blood vessels, and surgeons at these centers strongly believe kidneys perserved in this manner resume functioning more rapidly and perform better following transplantation.

Now, Johns Hopkins researchers are preparing a trial involving a new-generation perfusion machine, Organ Recovery Systems' LifePort Kidney Transporter, recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

"This device significantly advances the state of the art, especially in the areas of portability, ease of use, and kidney treatment and assessment," said Dr. Stephen C. Jensik, associate director of the renal transplant program at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center. "This could enable us to make more kidneys available for transplant and ensure better outcomes."

Other Sources: Organ Recovery Systems