Lionel C. J. Hartley

Kidney preservation for transportation. Function of 29 human-cadaver kidneys preserved with an intracellular perfusate.

Flush perfusion with a solution similar in composition to intracellular fluid (solution C3) was performed before ice storage of 29 consecutive human-cadaver renal allografts. Twenty-four kidneys functioned immediately without need for dialysis. Two underwent severe rejection, requiring early nephrectomy. The remaining three kidneys, of which two were stored for more than 12 hours, suffered a period of postoperative acute renal failure requiring dialysis for as long as three weeks, but all three kidneys eventually achieved satisfactory function. For storage periods of as long as 12 hours, these results are comparable to those achieved with continuous flow perfusion, and superior to those reported for ice storage after perfusion with conventional solutions.