A single solution for multiple organ procurement and preservation

Two or three different solutions may be used to preserve thoracic and abdominal organs during a single procurement. The aim of this prospective, multi-center, noncomparative study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Celsior (R) (study solution, solution S) as a flushing and cold storage solution for both thoracic and abdominal organs. Between August 1999 and July 2000, 72 consecutive multiple-organ procurements were performed using solution S as the sole solution for flushing out and cold-storing thoracic and abdominal grafts. Two hundred and sixty-four grafts were implanted into 245 recipients (131 kidneys, 9 kidney-pancreases, 69 livers, 34 hearts and 6 heart-lungs). The mean cold ischemia time was 21 h for kidneys (26% > 24 h); 11 h 26 min for pancreases, 9 h 16 min for livers (23% > 12 h), and 2 h 58 min for hearts and lungs. No cardiac failure or arrhythmia occurred on graft reperfusion. Fourteen percent of kidney recipients had delayed graft function. The mean serum creatinin level at 3 months was 123 +/- 41 mu mol/l. All pancreas recipients were insulin-free at 3 months. Primary graft nonfunction occurred in one liver recipient. Complete hepatic artery thrombosis occurred in six liver recipients during the first month; four of these patients had a risk factor for thrombosis. All but three of the heart recipients were in sinus rhythm on day 1, and 65% were extubated on day 1. Inotropic drugs were necessary during the first 72 h in 25% of heart recipients. Twelve-month patient and graft survival rates were, respectively, 100% and 96% (kidney), 100% and 89% (pancreas), 88% and 83% (liver), 77.5% (heart) and 67% (heart-lung). These results suggest that Celsior 0, a ready-to-use solution, is safe and effective for multiple organ procurement and preservation.