[Preservation of kidneys, liver and pancreas]

In the latter half of the 1960s Folkert O. Beltzer developed a technique for the preservation of kidneys by continuous vascular perfusion, and Geoffrey Collins developed solutions for flush perfusion of kidneys and procedures for cold storage. All organ preservation is based upon hypothermia (from 0 degree to 10 degrees C). Most preservative solutions are hyperosmolar and contain such high molecular weight substances as glucose to counteract the tendency for intracellular oedema to occur when sodium-potassium pumps cease to function during ischaemia and hypothermia. The early procedures for the preservation of cadaveric kidneys are still used today with acceptable results. The preservation methods used for kidneys are not very satisfactory either for the pancreas or the liver. However, the use of a recently developed medium, University of Wisconsin solution, permits liver or pancreas preservation for up to 15-20 hours. Despite manifest advances in the field of organ preservation, a proportion of organs are still lost due to damage during preservation and ischaemia. Further improvement in the results of organ transplantation is dependent on developments in the field of preservation.