NAPLES study: metra allows "safe transplantation of marginal liver grafts into high risk patients"

Preliminary results of the NAPLES (Normothermic mAchine Perfusion of the Liver to Enable the high risk recipientS) study have been published in the Journal transplantation.

The study, performed by the University of Birmingham, utilized the metra to assess and transplant marginal livers into higher risk transplant recipients (predominatly re-transplant recipients (57%)). Re-transplant candidates currently face high organ decline rates, which can lead to long wait times for a transplant. New technologies are therefore needed to increase organ utilisation in these transplant patients.

During the first 14 months of the study, 35 livers were placed on the metra with 72% of livers meeting viability criteria, which were transplanted. No primary non-function was observed, there was 100% 90-day patient survival and until last follow up only 2 patients (7.6%) required retransplantation.

The authors conclude that the metra allowed safe transplantation of marginal liver grafts into high risk patients.

The article can be accessed here: https://journals.lww.com/transplantjournal/fulltext/2020/09003/naples_study__normothermic_machine_perfusion_of.368.aspx