Abstract
The discrepancy between the number of patients awaiting liver transplantation and
the number of available donors has become a key issue in the transplant setting. Various
strategies to cope with the donor shortage problem and to increase the use of suboptimal
grafts have been explored. Machine perfusion has been applied ex situ to liver grafts
in the effort to improve static cold-storage preservation. If a more extensive application
of this technology confirms the preliminary results, machine perfusion will become
crucial in increasing the donor pool as well as improving recipients' outcomes. In
this review, the authors focused on the evolution of machine perfusion, from the first
animal experiences to the latest evidence in humans, highlighting the pros and cons
as well as the potential clinical applications of various types of machine.
Keywords
liver transplantation - machine perfusion - extended criteria donors
