Liver Transplant From Controlled Cardiac Death Donors Using Normothermic Regional Perfusion: Comparison With Liver Transplants From Brain Dead Donors

Liver transplantation from donors after either controlled or uncontrolled cardiac death (DCD) is associated with considerable rates of primary nonfunction (PNF) and ischemic cholangiopathy (IC). Normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) could significantly reduce such rates. Retrospective study to analyze short-term (mortality, PNF, vascular complications) and long-term (IC, survival) complications in 11 liver transplants from controlled DCDs using NRP with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (group 1). They were compared with 51 patients transplanted with grafts from donors after brain death (DBD) (group 2). Mean recipient age, sex, and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score were not significantly different. In group 1, mean functional warm ischemia time was 15.8 (range, 7–40) minutes and 94.1 (range, 20–150) minutes on NRP. The ischemic damage was minimal, as shown by the slight alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) rises in the donor serum after 1 hour on NRP and similar rises 24 hours after transplantation in both groups. No patient had IC or acute renal failure. No significant difference was found between the groups for vascular or biliary complications. One group 1 patient had PNF (9.1%), resulting in death. Overall retransplantation and in-hospital death rates were 8.1% and 4.8%, respectively, with no significant difference between groups. Estimated mean survival was 24.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 20.2–29.1) months in group 1 and 32.3 (95% CI, 30.4–34.2) months in group 2 (not a statistically significant difference). In our experience, liver transplants from controlled DCDs using NRP with ECMO is associated with a low risk of PNF and IC, with short- and long-term results comparable to those in DBD transplants. •In this comparison of liver transplantation, either from donors after cardiac death (DCD) using ECMO or donors after brain death (DBD), similar ischemia/reperfusion damage, according to the nonsignificant different AST and ALT, peaks 48 hours after transplantation.•No DCD patient developed ischemic cholangiopathy and only 1 (9.1%) died.•No cases of acute renal failure occurred in DCDs, in contrast to 42.9% in DBD patients, possibly reflecting the protective effect of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.•As there was no significant difference in short and long-term complications, DCD liver transplantation is comparable with DBD.