A Single Centre Study of the Feasibility and Safety of Using Ex-vivo Normothermic Machine Perfusion With the Organox Metra™ Device to Store Human Livers for Transplantation

Liver transplantation is a life-saving procedure but its success has been limited by a shortage of suitable donor organs. Much emphasis is now placed on optimising the condition of those organs that are available, to enable more higher risk organs to be transplanted safely. An effective means of pre-transplant viability assessment would not only allow greater use of higher risk donors but also minimise the risk of primary non-function by identifying and excluding non-viable organs before subjecting a patient to the risk of surgery. Organ storage under normothermic perfusion conditions enables organ function to be evaluated prior to transplantation and further has been shown to prevent organ injury which is sustained during standard cold storage. This trial will examine the safety and feasibility of using the OrganOx Metra device to transport and store donor livers under normothermic conditions prior to transplantation. This study will evaluate liver function post-transplantation using standard clinical parameters. Participants will be followed for 3 months following transplantation and their outcomes recorded. Participants will undergo no other study procedures. Feasibility will be measured using the ratio of actual / eligible candidate donors recruited to the study and will also encompass logistical issues with respect to transportation, and ease of use. Safety will be assessed by rates of device failures resulting in organ discard, primary graft non-function, re-transplantation, and recipient death.