Dealing with liver transplantation in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: Normothermic machine perfusion enables for donor, organ and recipient assessment – A Case Report

Bogensperger, Christina; Cardini, Benno; Oberhuber, Rupert; Weissenbacher, Annemarie; Gasteiger, Silvia; Berchtold, Valeria; Otarashvili, Giorgi; Öfner, Dietmar; Schneeberger, Stefan

Abstract The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has changed life on a global scale. The numbers in transplantation have plumped in fear of disease transmission, recipient Covid-19 infection, priority shift and resource limitations. Covid-19 complicates transplantation since donor testing, (re)allocation of limited resources and recipient testing may exceed permissible ischemia times. Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) helps to safely prolong liver preservation up to 38 hours. Additional time is essential under the current circumstances. Here we present the case of a 29-year-old liver transplant recipient, in whom prolonged liver preservation required for SARS-CoV-2 screening was accomplished through normothermic machine perfusion (NMP). Donor and recipient test results for SARS-CoV-2 were negative and intensive care unit (ICU) capacity eventually available. The surgical procedure and postoperative course were uneventful. NMP offers to extend preservation times in liver transplantation while awaiting SARS-CoV-2 test results and availability of ICU capacity.