Surgeons at Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville have become the first in Tennessee to perform a kidney transplant using a new FDA-approved organ preservation technology.
The Vanderbilt transplant team used the Paragonix KidneyVault Renal Perfusion System, a portable hypothermic perfusion device designed to better preserve and transport donor kidneys, according to an April 3 news release. The operation took place in March and marks a notable step forward for transplant logistics in the region, enabling clinicians to expand the donor pool and potentially improve outcomes, particularly for high-risk patients.
The preservation system continuously monitors kidney temperature during transport and provides real-time location tracking, allowing organs to be transported across greater distances with increased transparency and control.
Advanced preservation systems are gaining traction as health systems work to extend organ viability and safely accept donor organs from farther away. More than 106,000 people are on the national transplant waitlist, 86% of whom are waiting for a kidney.
