New kidney transplant machine – which doubles the time an organ can typically be preserved – used for first time in Scotland

The transplant team at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh have carried out the first kidney transplant in Scotland using a pioneering cold perfusion machine, which keeps the organ healthy for up to 24 hours.

Typically, a kidney from a deceased donor can be kept on ice for around 12 hours before it begins to lose function.

The new machine from XVIVO, using the HOPE method (hypothermic oxygenated perfusion), continuously circulates oxygenated fluid to keep kidneys in optimal condition for transplant, improving immediate post-transplant performance and offering greater long-term outcomes for patients.

The state-of-the-art technology has only been used in the UK once before.

Patient, James Rhind (64) from Dufftown was the first patient in Scotland to receive a transplant with the XVIVO machine. He said

It was a surprise to get the call that I had a match for a kidney – I got the call at 4pm and was in Edinburgh getting ready for transplant by 9pm. The team explained I’d be the first to have a transplanted kidney on the machine and I think it’s fantastic that they’re making strides in using this new technology.”

James who is a Hygiene Supervisor at Baxters Food Group continued:

I immediately felt the benefit of the transplant and, less than a week later, I’m recovering well and heading home to Dufftown. I’d encourage anyone to consider becoming an organ donor and will be preaching to all of my work colleagues when I get back about the life-changing impact of transplant.”

The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh has long been driving forward innovation in organ transplant – last year marked 65 years since the first successful living kidney transplant in the UK.

Andrew Sutherland, Transplant Surgeon commented:

This marks a really exciting development for kidney transplantation in Scotland. Not only does it present an opportunity to improve patient outcomes, it also allows us flexibility as a multi-transplant unit to accept more kidneys each year and store them for longer in line with theatre availability.

“We’re really grateful to NHS Lothian Charity for funding a pilot study and to XVIVO for the loan of the machine, which is now affectionately known in the team as Katrin. It takes a huge team effort to make something like this happen and I’d also like to thank my colleagues including surgeons, perfusion and theatre teams for their hard work and openness to make this possible.”

Jane Ferguson, Director of NHS Lothian Charity, said:

It’s incredibly inspiring to see this technology making a real difference to patients’ lives here in Scotland. As the official charity of NHS Lothian, we’re proud to support pilot studies like this, helping clinical teams to push boundaries, improve outcomes and give more people the chance of a successful transplant. This is a great example of what can be achieved through collaboration, expanding what’s possible in transplant care.”

First of all, I would like to extend my sincere congratulations to the transplant team at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for their first kidney transplantation using XVIVO’s Kidney Assist Transport, and to thank the NHS Lothian Charity for their support. Most importantly, I would like to thank them for giving James Rhind the opportunity for a better life. Today, there is a significant need for kidney transplantations in the UK, and innovative technologies such as Kidney Assist Transport can help ensure that more donated kidneys are utilized, enabling many more patients like James to receive the transplants they need,” said Christoffer Rosenblad, CEO of XVIVO.