Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2025
Ex Situ Normothermic Machine Perfusion of Donor Livers
Published on: May 26, 2015
Despite Increasing Costs, Perfusion Machines Expand the Donor Pool of Livers and Could Save Lives
Thomas J Handley1, Katherine D Arnow2, Marc L Melcher3
1Department of Health Policy, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Stanford-Surgery Policy Improvement Research & Education Center (S-SPIRE), Stanford, California; Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
Introduction:
Liver transplantation is a highly successful treatment for liver failure and disease. However, demand continues to outstrip our ability to provide transplantation as a treatment. Many livers initially considered for transplantation are not used because of concerns about their viability or logistical issues. Recent clinical trials have shown discarded livers may be viable if they undergo machine perfusion, which allows a more objective assessment of liver quality.
Methods:
Using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients dataset, we examined discarded and unretrieved organs to determine their eligibility for perfusion. We then used a Markov decision-analytic model to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis of two competing transplant strategies: Static Cold Storage (SCS) alone versus Static Cold Storage and Normothermic Machine Perfusion (NMP) of discarded organs.
Results:
The average predicted successful transplants after perfusion was 385, representing a 5.8% increase in the annual yield of liver transplants. Our cost-effectiveness analysis found that the SCS strategy generated 4.64 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and cost $479,226. The combined SCS + NMP strategy generated 4.72 QALYs and cost $481,885. The combined SCS + NMP strategy had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $33,575 per additional QALY over the 10-year study horizon.
Conclusions:
Machine perfusion of livers currently not considered viable for transplant could increase the number of transplantable grafts by approximately 5% per year and is cost-effective compared to Static Cold Storage alone.
