Celebrating the work of the Normothermic Regional Perfusion Team
The Cardiff and Vale University Health Board is celebrating the pioneering work of its organ retrieval team, which has improved the viability of donated organs through the use of Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP) technology. This revolutionary technique restores oxygenated blood to donated organs after a person has passed away, significantly improving their quality for transplant and leading to better outcomes for transplant recipients.
Since introducing NRP technology in 2022, the Cardiff Retrieval team based in Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has become the third-largest NRP program in the UK and was nominated for national recognition for Excellence in Organ and Tissue Retrieval. The team's dedication to improving transplant outcomes has positively impacted local patients and a number of patients in other parts of the country. The hard work of this team is shaping the future of organ retrieval and transplantation in the UK. The team, which consists of eight experienced retrieval surgeons and eight scrub practitioners, is dedicated to moving boundaries; and it is already expanding to meet growing demand.
Recently the NRP team performed 4 NRP retrievals in one week and helped to save the lives of 6 kidney and one liver transplant recipients.
Funding from the Welsh government helped establish the NRP program in Cardiff. Elijah Ablorsu, the lead of the program, said, "I am incredibly proud of the work of the Normothermic Regional Perfusion Team. Their pioneering work is changing the landscape of organ retrieval and transplantation in the UK, and their dedication to improving the outcome for patients is truly inspirational”.
Organ Donation Registry
It is worth noting that since 2013, any adult or child aged 18 years or over in Wales is automatically enrolled onto the organ donation register unless they have opted out. While individuals may have registered their decision, their family is always involved in any organ donation conversation. Thus, it is important to talk to family members about organ donation to ensure their support of the decision.
Individuals who wish to support the NRP team's work and help save lives can have a conversation with their relatives about organ donation. Healthcare professionals will discuss the matter sensitively with the family if organ donation is possible. To learn more and register to become an organ donor, individuals can visit the organ donation NHS website.