This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of different methods of machine perfusion for the preservation of deceased donor livers. Using standard Cochrane search methods*, seven randomized trials (n=1024 Liver transplants) met the predefined inclusion criteria; four compared HOPE and SCS, and three compared NMP and SCS. Meta-analysis demonstrates that compared to SCS, HOPE improves graft survival by 55% (p=0.02), reduces the rate of serious adverse events by 55% (p=0.03) in ECD-DBD liver transplantation (p=0.03), and reduces the incidence of biliary complications by 69% (p=0.03) in DCD liver transplantation. While NMP was associated with improved organ utilization compared to SCS, NMP did not have the same clinical benefits over SCS as seen with HOPE.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews / 2023 / doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD014685.pub2.
*Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions Version 6.2 (updated February 2021). Cochrane, 2021. Available from: training.cochrane.org/handbook/archive/v6.2.
