Abstract

BACKGROUND: Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) is a novel strategy used for organ preservation. We aimed to determine the overall efficacy of NMP for liver preservation versus traditional static cold storage (CS).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a meta-analysis of the literature to evaluate the efficacy of NMP in experimental pig models of liver preservation. We use the standardized mean difference and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to calculate statistics and used the random effects model for the combined analysis of the results.

RESULTS: A total of 16 studies from 12 published articles were included. The combined results showed that NMP significantly decreased alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hyaluronic acid levels in serum or perfusate, significantly increased bile production, and had a similar 5–7-days survival rate after liver transplantation compared with the CS group.

CONCLUSIONS: NMP provides superior graft preservation compared with CS in the pig model.

Keywords: Equipment and Supplies, Liver Transplantation, meta-analysis, Organ Preservation, Perfusion, Reperfusion Injury