Doctors have successfully performed the first-ever organ transplant in Canada, using a new technique that could make more human organs available for transplantation.
The operation was conducted by researchers from the Canadian Lawson Health Research Institute and was reported on by EurekAlert on June 27.
New technology
The Lawson Health Research Institute team is the first in Canada to perform an organ transplant using a technique called abdominal normothermic regional perfusion (A-NRP), which uses a special pump to restore blood flow to a selected organ, potentially making more organs available for transplant. The technique was used to improve organs from two donors in April 2024 at the London Health Sciences Centre, resulting in four successful kidney and liver transplants.
“Organ donation after circulatory death (when the heart stops beating) has historically been less reliable than organ donation after brain death,” explained Dr Anton Scaro, a Lawson co-scientist and surgical director of liver transplantation at the London Health Sciences Centre. “This is because there is a greater risk of organ damage after circulatory death due to the cessation of oxygen and blood flow.”
Dr. Scarrow and his team at the London Health Sciences Centre were the first in Canada to use standard regional perfusion of abdominal heat, which has the potential to protect abdominal organs after donor circulatory death by using a special pump to selectively restore blood flow to the organs. Standard regional perfusion of abdominal heat can increase the likelihood of transplant success, ensure donor wishes are met and improve patient outcomes.
organ transplant
“Unfortunately, we do not have enough donated organs to match the number of patients waiting for transplantation,” said Dr. Scaro. “By protecting the quality of organs after circulatory death, standardized regional perfusion of abdominal heat could greatly increase the number of organs available to save more lives.”
The research team led by Dr. Scaro is currently studying the use of standard regional perfusion of abdominal heat to ensure it is safe for donors. The team plans to enroll 20 to 30 donors in the study.
Dr. Scaro notes that there is a tremendous amount of potential in standardized regional perfusion of abdominal heat, and once this study is completed, Dr. Scaro’s team hopes to expand the use of this technique to other transplant centers across Canada.
“This work would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary team with expertise in neurocritical care, perfusion, critical care, ethics, and organ donation and transplantation,” said Dr. Scaro. “It would also not have been possible without the help of many partners, the generosity of the community and donors.”