The Present and Future of Organ Preservation

The goal of this session is to take a deep dive into the current state of organ preservation, specifically with regard to DCD procurement and preservation strategies. Speakers and panelists will discuss limitations of the current DCD procurement model, in which OCS systems have been effectively utilized but impose logistical and financial challenges on transplant programs. Emerging data regarding recipient outcomes after OCS DCD transplantation relative to NRP procurement will also be discussed. Additional challenges with DCD, such as the inability to accurately predict progression to circulatory death, will be addressed, particularly in the context of recent publications describing regression models to predict donor progression. The future state of organ procurement will highlight emerging OCS technologies and the REUP (rapid recovery with extended ultra-oxygenated preservation) protocol, including the challenges and limitations associated with REUP.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the current state of DCD organ procurement, including the logistical and financial challenges associated with the use of OCS and national organ procurement services
• Compare the advantages and limitations of alternatives to OCS, such as NRP, including available data on donor organ utilization rates and primary graft dysfunction
• Identify emerging alternatives to DCD procurement using OCS, including the REUP protocol