Arterial reperfusion first in DCD liver transplantation
Research type
Research Study
Full title
FirST Arterial Reperfusion or Portal Reperfusion in Liver Transplantation from Donation after Circulatory Death Donors (STARTT trial)
IRAS ID
213676
Contact name
Paolo Muiesan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Liver transplantation is the only treatment option for end-stage liver disease or liver cirrhosis. Due to organs shortage, livers from Donors after Cardiac Death (DCD) have been increasingly used, but the quality of these organs makes them more susceptible to ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI), compared to Donors from Brain Death (DBD).
Once the has been transplanted into the recipient patient, the restoration of blood supply through the portal vein, paradoxically increase the damage of the liver. Importantly, IRI causes liver dysfunction in 10% of patients following liver transplantation and increases the likelihood of the liver rejection. There is currently no treatment for liver IRI after liver transplantation. One of the ways to reduce the IRI, is a more gradual reperfusion through the hepatic artery initially (about 20% of the liver blood flow volume), instead of massive reperfusion through the portal vein (about 80% of the liver blood flow volume).
Once transplanted the patient will be monitoted using the standard liver transplant protocol already well established within our institution.REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/WM/0492
Date of REC Opinion
12 May 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion