Cold machine perfusion boosts donor kidney transplant success

Cold machine perfusion for donor kidneys has now been applied at MHH. Two patients were transplanted using this preservation method; in one case, the procedure included a combined liver-kidney transplant. “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.

The German Organ Transplantation Foundation (DSO) introduced machine perfusion nationwide on 19 January 2026 for kidneys from donors with extended donor criteria, primarily organs from older donors. The aim is gentle, controlled transport from the recovery site to the transplant centre so that more donor kidneys can be used and transplanted successfully.

Unlike static cold storage on ice, machine perfusion continuously flushes the organ with a preservative solution and supplies it 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.”

• controlled transport conditions for the donor kidney
• additional time buffers for complex transplant surgery
• better preservation of organ function during transfer to the transplant centre

Before implementation, physicians and nurses received intensive training on the system, and internal processes were 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.”

MEDICA-tradefair.com; Source: Hannover Medical School