N Engl J Med 2021 Feb 24. Epub 2021 Feb 24.
From the Department of Surgery, Section of Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation (R.R., Y.V., O.B.L., V.E.M., R.J.P.), the Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (A.P.B.) and Radiology (R.J.H., J.J.G.S.), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Departments of Surgery (I.J.S., W.G.P., J.J.) and Gastroenterology and Hepatology (S.D.M.), Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, and the Departments of Surgery (J.I.E., V.A.L.H.) and Gastroenterology and Hepatology (B.H.), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden - all in the Netherlands; the Institute of Liver Studies, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London (M.C.C., N.H.); the Transplantation Research Group, the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Transplantation, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, and the Department of Abdominal Transplantation Surgery and Coordination, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven (N.G., I.J., D.M.), and the Department of Transplant Surgery, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent (R.I.T., A.V.) - both in Belgium.
Background: Transplantation of livers obtained from donors after circulatory death is associated with an increased risk of nonanastomotic biliary strictures. Hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion of livers may reduce the incidence of biliary complications, but data from prospective, controlled studies are limited.
Methods: In this multicenter, controlled trial, we randomly assigned patients who were undergoing transplantation of a liver obtained from a donor after circulatory death to receive that liver either after hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (machine-perfusion group) or after conventional static cold storage alone (control group). Read More