April is National Donate Life Month. A Cleveland Clinic physician highlights the benefits of using new technology to help improve liver transplants.
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CLEVELAND - April is National Donate Life Month.
When it comes to organ donations, every second counts, and that’s why Cleveland Clinic surgeons are using new technology to help preserve livers before they’re transplanted.
“Many have seen the ice coolers that we use to store the organ between the donor and the recipient. And when we get back to the transplant center, we take the organ off of ice and do the transplant, but ice storage is not the healthiest way of sustaining an organ that’s going to be transplanted,” explained David Reich, MD, surgical director of the liver transplant program for Cleveland Clinic Florida. “And so, the new machine perfusion technologies that we have keep the organ somewhat alive between the donor and the recipient.”
Dr. Reich said by using perfusion methods, they’re able to pump oxygenated blood or solution through a donor’s liver outside the body.
That in turn can help improve the quality of the organ.
It also gives surgeons a chance to better examine the liver and determine if it’s healthy enough to be transplanted, or they can further rejuvenate the liver.
Research shows perfusion has helped reduce the risk for complications as well.
“We have better results when we use perfusion. Patients go home from the hospital sooner, they have fewer complications, they have better safety in the operating room during the transplants, and then during their post-operative and longer-term course,” Dr. Reich noted.
Dr. Reich said research continues on the use of this new technology, but it’s already showing a lot of promise and is starting to be used for other types of organ transplants.
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 81,000 employees worldwide are more than 5,743 salaried physicians and researchers, and 20,160 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,690-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 23 hospitals, 276 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2023, there were 13.7 million outpatient encounters, 323,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 301,000 surgeries and procedures throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 132 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/CleClinicNews. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.
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