While the focal point of organ transplantation is the surgery itself, the reality is that a successful transplant begins long before the surgical team scrubs in. Viable organs must be procured, preserved, and transported while logistics are being coordinated for the donor, recipient, and OR. Organ recovery specialists are becoming a more critical part of positive outcomes because of their consistency, expertise, efficiency, and ability to utilize more organs than surgical transplant teams.
Advances in perfusion, such as the implementation of normothermic regional perfusion (NRP), are expanding the boundaries of transplantation, widening both the viability window and the pool of usable organs. Because of this, specialization in organ recovery is becoming more essential as the need for standardization and technical expertise are on the rise.
Better Procurement and Preservation
Organ recovery specialists are adept at perfusing and preserving organs, ensuring better quality, which is arguably the number one factor in a successful transplant. Thousands of viable or potentially viable organs go to waste every year because of procurement or preservation issues.
However, NRP is reducing the likelihood of ischemic injury, and recovery from DCD donors is becoming more frequent due to innovations in perfusion technology. Specialists are needed to operate these perfusion systems to both acquire and maintain viable organs. With standardized recovery protocols, specialized teams ensure that organs are received and transported in a way that is congruent with optimal quality.
According to the American Journal of Transplantation, procurement teams demonstrate better long-term outcomes than surgical teams when it comes to recovering organs. Damage during procurement is fairly common, with an average of 7% for kidneys and livers and up to 52% for pancreases. The study suggests that operational consistency is the reason why specialists decrease the chance of injury during procurement.
Increased Organ Utilization
Through the use of NRP, specialists are helping to increase the utilization of donated organs. NRP keeps organs oxygenated, preventing and even rehabilitating warm ischemic injury, allowing clinicians to assess organ function and quality. It allows for their reanimation while reducing myocardial injury, preserving energy storage, and maintaining homeostasis, all under the direct visualization of the surgical team. Additionally, NRP increases the viability of DCD organs, which is significant because as many as half of deceased donors are DCD.
In addition to operating perfusion systems, specialists manage a number of factors that can affect organs during transport. NRP organ transport is a highly coordinated effort, requiring specific skills and the ability to adapt quickly to logistical or circumstantial changes.
Moreover, specialized procurement teams can tap a larger network for organ transport and distribution, increasing logistical capacity and the potential for successful transplants. Modern recovery systems are growing in complexity, and broader organ sharing — along with evolving allocation policies — are increasing reliance on third-party recovery infrastructure.
More Efficient Logistics
Because an organ transplantation procedure has so many moving parts, a mere wrinkle in logistics can easily extinguish a transplant opportunity. More time, better time management, and precise coordination can mean the difference between a patient’s second chance and a once-viable organ being designated as medical waste.
Procurement teams streamline donor logistics and help reduce travel redundancy. They often have greater resources for transport and more efficient ways to manage contingencies. Not only that, but they can reduce the physical and cognitive burden on the surgical team. According to Current Transplant Reports, the use of organ recovery specialists is associated with reduced costs, mitigation of travel risks, and the potential to decrease burnout among transplant surgeons.
Supplement Your Organ Transplant Program with SpecialtyCare
Having a specialized organ recovery team can improve outcomes for your organ transplant program. Greater efficiency means fewer organs go to waste, and your operational capabilities expand alongside your ability to provide excellent patient care. SpecialtyCare is one of the nation’s top perfusion providers, supporting 250 hospitals around the country.
For both thoracic and abdominal NRP, we offer a response time in as little as 30 minutes and team availability twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Our teams lead the way in NRP heart and abdominal organ procurement procedures, and no other provider can match our experience, scale, coverage, availability, or capabilities. To learn more about how we can help your organ transplant program achieve more success, contact us today!