Paragonix Technologies has announced a significant milestone for its Paragonix LIVERguard System, which successfully preserved a donor liver during a cross-country transport from the West Coast to North Carolina.
The liver was transplanted at Duke University Hospital. This case is among the longest liver procurements on record using advanced hypothermic preservation, highlighting the system’s capability to facilitate long-distance organ transplants and potentially increase the number of life-saving procedures, said Paragonix.
Duke University Hospital identified a suitable donor match on the West Coast for a patient on its waitlist. Typically, the distance would raise concerns about the cold ischemic time affecting the organ’s viability.
However, as early adopters of advanced hypothermic liver preservation, the transplant team was confident in the technology’s ability to maintain the organ’s condition. This case illustrates how advanced preservation technology can enhance access to donor organs, with the liver travelling over 2,000 nautical miles.
Paragonix said the LIVERguard system’s design, featuring stable cooling technology and real-time data monitoring, ensures that donor livers remain in optimal condition during transport, improving the overall transplant process.
Paragonix Technologies president Dr Lisa Anderson said: “We are committed to honouring both the donor and recipient throughout the organ transplantation process.
“By leveraging advanced technologies like LIVERguard, surgeons can now offer organs to patients that were previously inaccessible due to distance or prolonged ischemic time. This capability ensures the donor’s gift is respected, allowing for optimal matches with recipients who are most in need.”
Last month, Paragonix Technologies, in collaboration with Vanderbilt Health, announced the successful transplantation of a donor kidney using the Paragonix KidneyVault Renal Perfusion System. This system, approved by the FDA, is a portable hypothermic perfusion technology designed for the preservation and transportation of donor kidneys.
