Revolutionary liver transplant: New method saves life!

Revolutionary liver transplant: New method saves life!

A new method for liver transplantation developed in Innsbruck shows promising results. The study published in the journal Annals of Surgery and managed by Felix Krendl as the first author compares the innovative non-invasive liver prevention method (NLMP) with the conventional static cold preservation (SCS). The investigation made data from clinical practice over a period of five years, from February 2018 to January 2023. A total of 332 liver transplants were considered, of which 174 of the NLMP method and 158 of the SCS method were assigned.

The main goal of NLMP technology is to extend the pre-service time of the donor organs and to make the transplant process more flexible. This method not only enables a better assessment of the organ function before transplantation, but also has significant improvements in the clinic organization.

improved survival rates and organization

The current results show a one-year transplant survival rate of 93.4 percent in benchmark cases. In comparison, the overall survival rate for the conventional method was 83.8 percent for SCS and 81.3 percent for NLMP technology. In addition, the innovative method enabled the transplant of 67 organs that could not have been transplanted without them.

Another remarkable aspect of the NLMP method is the drastic reduction in night transplants, which could be reduced from 41.9 to only 4.2 percent. This illustrates the increase in efficiency in everyday clinical life and improved planning security for medical staff.

The context of the transplant systems

The developments in the liver transplantation are related to a broader trend towards systemic innovations in healthcare, as described in Article on the challenges in the German lung transplant system. Here it is pointed out that innovative approaches are necessary to transform transplantation systems, especially in view of the system errors and the lack of organ endangering other types of transplantation.

The paper examines various leverage for interventions in the transplant system and shows that political and public measures are often not sufficient to cause fundamental system change. The consideration of the complex interactions and adjustments within these systems requires a deeper understanding of synergetic effects and systemic perspectives.

While the NLMP method has made progress in the liver transplantation, research in systemic innovations and its application in other transplant systems remains crucial. Experts warn that the weaknesses of the current system, such as organ deficiency and tissue rejection, urgently need to be addressed to ensure the supply of donor organs in the future.