Combined Use of Subnormothermic Extracorporeal Support and Hypothermic Oxygenated Machine Perfusion for Liver Graft After Cardiac Death in Pigs.

Background: The use of grafts from donors after cardiac death (DCD) would greatly contribute to the expansion of the donor organ pool. This study aims to determine the benefits of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and hypothermic oxygenated machine perfusion (HOPE) in a large animal model of DCD liver.

Methods: After cardiac arrest, the abdominal aorta and the inferior vena cava were cannulated and connected to an ECMO circuit.