Vanderbilt surgeons first in Tennessee to use new kidney preservation technology

More than 106,000 patients are currently on the national transplant waitlist in the U.S.; 86% of those people are in need of a kidney. Protecting donor kidneys is key when it comes to ensuring the survival of as many of those people as possible. Now a new technology is giving potential kidney recipients in Tennessee new hope.

Vanderbilt Health kidney transplant surgeons are the first in the state — and among just a few in the Southeast — to use a new Food and Drug Administration-approved portable hypothermic perfusion technology that preserves donor kidneys during transport. The Paragonix KidneyVault Renal Perfusion System provides continuous fluids through the kidney. Traditional perfusion machines are often bulky, making them difficult to use over long distances or during air travel. The KidneyVault is much more transportable and, in addition to providing perfusion, can maintain the kidney at an optimal temperature for up to 24 hours, while transporting the organs on ice can lead to varying temperatures, possibly damaging the kidney. Moreover, a monitoring system means that technicians and surgeons can keep an eye on the kidney through its journey.

Read more about the transplant and the KidneyVault.