In-situ normothermic regional perfusion of the abdomen for donor livers following circulatory death

Status:

In progress

Technology type:

Procedure

Decision:

Selected

Reason for decision:

Anticipate the topic will be of importance to patients, carers, professionals, commissioners and the health of the public to ensure clinical benefit is realised, inequalities in use addressed, and help them make the best use of NHS resources

Process:

IP

ID number:

1890

Description:

Currently in the UK, approximately 25% of livers are donated from deceased donors after circulatory death. When the blood supply is cut-off, the liver is at risk of ischaemic damage. To minimise organ degradation a donor liver is usually preserved using static cold storage. This involves flushing the donor liver with cold organ preservation solution and then placing it in a sterile bag in a cold storage icebox for transport. Despite this, liver degradation can occur making the liver unsuitable for a transplant. In-situ normothermic regional perfusion of the abdomen is a procedure that uses a machine to oxygenate and warm the donor's own blood and circulate it around their abdomen to perfuse the liver after they have died. The aim of this procedure is to minimise ischaemic damage to the liver during retrieval, making the liver more viable for a transplant.

Provisional Schedule

Draft scope consultation:

08 December 2025 - 19 December 2025

Scope Published:

22 January 2026

Email enquiries

If you have any queries please email ip@nice.org.uk

Timeline

Key events during the development of the guidance:

For further information on how we develop interventional procedures guidance, please see our interventional procedures programme manual