Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, is using a new technology called normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) to improve outcomes for combined heart and liver transplant procedures (CHLT). This technology allows organs to be pumped with oxygenated blood outside of the body, providing more preservation time and reducing the risk of metabolic disturbances during reperfusion. Dr. Kristopher P. Croome, a transplant surgeon at Mayo Clinic, and his colleagues utilized NMP in a case series, which included three surgeries performed between 2022 and 2023. The successful use of NMP in these cases has led to a change in CHLT protocol at Mayo Clinic, with the technology now being routinely used for cases involving cardiac transplant or coronary artery bypass graft combined with liver transplant.
Traditionally, CHLT procedures have presented challenges such as hemodynamic instability and prolonged organ ischemia during preservation, making them difficult to perform. However, advancements in surgical techniques and immunosuppression, coupled with the ability to use NMP, have resulted in more successful outcomes. This technology, which was only FDA-approved in late 2021, allows for an expansion of donor pools by enabling organs to be transported from further distances. Mayo Clinic’s adoption of NMP has allowed them to excel in performing complex multiorgan transplants and save more lives.
