King’s College Hospital joins national trial to increase life-saving liver transplants

The new King’s College Hospital liver transplant pilot will use innovative technology to assess and preserve donated organs.

King’s is now one of 15 assessment and recovery centres (ARCs) across the UK. These centres form part of a national trial to increase the number of successful organ transplants.

The programme utilises machine perfusion to keep donated organs viable outside of the body. This technology circulates oxygenated blood and nutrients through the liver before the operation.

Currently, many organs are not transplanted due to the extremely short timescales involved in traditional preservation. This technology allows clinicians to conduct viability tests that were previously impossible.

King’s Liver Transplant Unit is a world-renowned facility. It currently runs one of the largest transplantation programmes in Europe.

Reducing risks for patients on the waiting list

Many patients face a long and uncertain wait for a suitable organ. Livers that would have previously carried a higher risk can now be assessed more thoroughly.

Machine perfusion helps to preserve selected donated organs which would otherwise not be transplanted. This ensures that the best possible use is made of every single donation.

Varuna Aluvihare, Consultant in Liver Medicine at King’s, praised the selection of the hospital for this trial. He noted that the process can lead to excellent outcomes for those in need.

Varuna Aluvihare said: “Through machine perfusion, we have the potential to be able to transplant livers, which would have otherwise carried a higher risk, into patients facing a long and uncertain wait for a suitable organ — with excellent outcomes.”

A national step forward in transplantation

The trial is a collaborative effort with NHS Blood and Transplant. The creation of regional hubs marks a significant change in how transplant services operate in England.

Clinicians at King’s are providing liver perfusion as a core part of the pilot scheme. They aim to transform the way life-saving services are delivered to critically ill patients.

Varuna Aluvihare added: “We are extremely proud to have been selected as a pilot site by NHS Blood and Transplant, and have a part in this ground-breaking step forward in organ donation and transplantation.”

The programme will be monitored closely to determine its impact on national transplant rates. If successful, the ARC model could become a permanent fixture in UK healthcare infrastructure.

OFFICIAL SOURCE VERIFICATION: This report is based on official clinical data from NHS Trust / Health Authority. Document: King’s pilots ground-breaking liver transplant programme - King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Source Link: https://www.kch.nhs.uk/news/kings-pilots-ground-breaking-liver-transplant-programme/

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