Newark, New Jersey – Today, The Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation at University Hospital announced the successful transplantation of a donated liver preserved by portable hypothermic machine perfusion, a first in the state of New Jersey.
This novel technology is designed to help improve transplant outcomes, including increasing the time surgeons have in determining an organ’s health and performance before a transplant.
Dr. James V. Guarrera, the Center’s Program Director and Chief of the Liver Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery Division, led the liver transplant procedure.
The transplant was part of a national multi-center clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of hypothermic machine perfusion, including potential benefits for improving the recovery of donor livers and transplant patient health.
Dr. Guarrera is Principal Investigator for the nationwide study.
“Dr. James Guarrera and the team at the University Hospital have done truly leading-edge clinical work in implementing ex vivo machine perfusion into our transplantation operations,” said Dr. Shereef Elnahal, CEO and President of University Hospital.
“We’re honored to be one of a select group of national clinical trial sites that is working on evaluating this important life-saving technology.
Dr. Guarrera’s extensive knowledge and experience in liver transplantation research and surgery will provide exciting new opportunities for the Center to make contributions to advancing the field of transplantation.”
In addition to Dr. Guarrera’s clinical leadership of the Center, he is a co-inventor of several medical technology patents, and he has helped essential pioneer developments in the field of liver transplantation.
His research has been widely published in peer-reviewed medical journals and prominently recognized by the American Society of Transplantation, the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, and the International Liver Transplantation Society.
Throughout his career, he has also been awarded numerous scientific federal and foundation research grants.
“There is a short window of time for a surgeon to safely recover a donated organ, determine its quality and viability, and then successfully transplant into a patient; every second counts.
Having new technology to potentially expand that crucial timeframe can be the determining factor in conducting a successful transplantation operation,” said Dr. James V. Guarrera, Program Director for Liver Transplantation at The Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation, and Chief, Division of Liver Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery at University Hospital.
“I’m grateful for the support from the hospital and our team that allows us to focus on incorporating new technology and advancements to improve the quality and safety of our work.
We look forward to more fully integrating ex vivo machine perfusion into our future clinical operations.”
The Center for Advanced Liver Diseases and Transplantation at University Hospital, which opened in 1989, was the first liver transplant center in New Jersey, and one of the busiest in the nation.
In addition to transplant operations, the Center provides a comprehensive multidisciplinary approach for treatment of complex hepatobiliary disorders, such as: liver masses, Hepatitis C, bile duct and gall bladder abnormalities, fatty liver disease, and portal hypertension.