Transplant team finally succeeds in using controversial new organ recovery strategy

Transplant surgeons are pioneering a controversial new method for retrieving organs from donors, stirring both excitement and ethical debates. NPR health correspondent Rob Stein recently became the first journalist to witness this groundbreaking procedure in the U.S.

In an operating room in eastern Tennessee, Dr. Marty Sellers, along with his team from Tennessee Donor Services, is preparing to retrieve a liver and two kidneys from a deceased donor. This isn't just any organ retrieval; Dr. Sellers is utilizing a novel technique called normothermic regional perfusion (NRP). "It's a big deal," says Sellers. "We're saving a lot of lives that otherwise wouldn't have a chance."

NRP involves restoring blood flow to the organs of a donor after death to minimize damage and enhance the viability of the organs for transplantation. However, the method is controversial. Critics argue that restarting circulation after death raises profound ethical questions, potentially reversing the donor's declared death status. Dr. Matthew DeCamp, a bioethicist, contends that NRP "violates foundational ethical norms around the determination of death."

Despite the controversy, proponents like Dr. Sellers emphasize the life-saving potential of NRP. "It's irrefutable that we are not causing any increased deaths with NRP, and we're saving more lives," Sellers asserts.

During the procedure, complications arise, including a delay due to the absence of a necessary surgical saw and the discovery that the donor's liver is not viable. Nonetheless, the team successfully retrieves two kidneys, one of which ultimately saves a life.

As the debate over the ethics of NRP continues, the technique's potential to significantly reduce organ waiting list deaths cannot be ignored. This procedure marks a significant step forward in the field of organ transplantation, promising to save many more lives in the future.

For more information see Mary Louise Kelly “Transplant team finally succeeds in using controversial new organ recovery strategy”, NPR, July 8, 2024.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.