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Thanks to the technology, more donor kidneys can be transplanted.
Machine perfusion for donor kidneys was used for the first time at Hannover Medical School (MHH). Two people were able to receive a new kidney thanks to this technology. One of the two patients also received a new liver as part of a combined procedure. "Both patients are doing well and the transplanted kidneys are producing urine - a clear sign of the success of the transplants," says Dr. Nicolas Richter, Head of Division at the MHH Clinical Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery.
DSO introduces cold machine perfusion for donor kidneys
On January 19, 2026, the German Organ Transplantation Foundation (DSO) introduced machine perfusion nationwide for kidneys from donors with extended donor criteria, which primarily include donor organs from older people. The procedure is used to gently transport donor kidneys from the collection site to the respective Transplant Centre so that more organs can be used and successfully transplanted. This is because kidneys account for almost half of all organ transplants in Germany. At the same time, more than 6,200 people are waiting for a donor kidney.
Preservation determines the success of the transplant
In contrast to cold storage on ice, in machine perfusion the organ is continuously flushed with a preservative solution and supplied under controlled conditions. "The organs reach our center in very good condition," says associate professor Dr. Philipp Felgendreff, senior physician in the Clinical Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery at the MHH. "In complex procedures such as combined liver-kidney transplants or organs with extended donor criteria, this new type of preservation saves us valuable time and preserves the function of the organs better. This benefits patients in particular."
Staff have been trained
The medical and nursing staff received intensive training on how to use the machine beforehand, and internal processes also had to be adapted. "The device weighs 23 kilograms and must be transported reliably within the Clinical Department and handled safely in the operating room," explains Dr. Ulrike Bode, Managing Director of the Transplant Centre. "This is only possible thanks to the close and successful cooperation of all departments involved - from the Eurotransplant liaison office to the MHH transport service and the OR nursing staff."
Better care for patients
"The successful transplantation of machine-perfused kidneys - both as a stand-alone transplant and in combination with a liver transplant - represents an important clinical milestone in transplant medicine," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Moriz Schmelzle, Director of the MHH Clinical Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery and Head of the MHH Transplant Centre. "We are also significantly improving the care of patients with permanent kidney failure." On behalf of the staff and on behalf of the patients, he thanks the organ donors and their relatives.
For further information, please contact Dr. Philipp Felgendreff, Viszeralchirurgie@mh-hannover.de.
Picture 1: Successful kidney transplant (f. l.): Dr. Cornelius van Beekum, surgeon, and Vanessa Muth ...
Copyright: Copyright: MHH/VCH.
Successful kidney transplant (from left): Susann Zeropa, OR Nursing, Dr. Cornelius van Beekum, surge ...
Copyright: Copyright: MHH/VCH.
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