In the latest issue of Transplant International, Rossignol and colleagues (Lyon, France) studied the impact of hypothermic oxygenated perfusion on ex situ split grafts (HOPE-Split) in paediatric liver transplantation. Compared with static cold storage ex situ partial grafts, HOPE-Split had significantly shorter cold ischaemia times, less post-reperfusion syndrome and a lower ischaemia-reperfusion injury score. The latter two outcomes were comparable to living donor liver transplantation, along with a similar incidence of surgical complications, one-year graft and recipient survival. By improving graft preservation, HOPE-Split reduces early ischaemia-reperfusion injury and approaches the gold standard of living donation liver transplantation.
