Heart-liver-kidney transplantation for AL amyloidosis using normothermic recovery and storage from a donor following circulatory death: Short-term outcome in a first-in-world experience

Am J Transplant. 2023 Feb;23(2):291-293. doi: 10.1016/j.ajt.2022.11.003. Epub 2023 Jan 12.

Abstract

AL amyloidosis is a rare condition characterized by the overproduction of an unstable free light chain, protein misfolding and aggregation, and extracellular deposition that can progress to multiorgan involvement and failure. To our knowledge, this is the first worldwide report to describe triple organ transplantation for AL amyloidosis and triple organ transplantation using thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion recovery with a donation from a circulatory death (DCD) donor. The recipient was a 40-year-old man with multiorgan AL amyloidosis with a terminal prognosis without multiorgan transplantation. An appropriate DCD donor was selected for sequential heart, liver, and kidney transplants via our center's thoracoabdominal normothermic regional perfusion pathway. The liver was additionally placed on an ex vivo normothermic machine perfusion, and the kidney was maintained on hypothermic machine perfusion while awaiting implantation. The heart transplant was completed first (cold ischemic time [CIT]: 131 minutes), followed by the liver transplant (CIT: 87 minutes, normothermic machine perfusion: 301 minutes). Kidney transplantation was performed the following day (CIT: 1833 minutes). He is 8 months posttransplant without evidence of heart, liver, or kidney graft dysfunction or rejection. This case highlights the feasibility of normothermic recovery and storage modalities for DCD donors, which can expand transplant opportunities for allografts previously not considered for multiorgan transplantations.

Keywords: clinical research/practice; donors and donation: donation after circulatory death (DCD); heart (allograft) function/dysfunction; heart transplantation/cardiology; hematology/oncology; kidney (allograft) function/dysfunction; liver allograft function/dysfunction; liver transplantation/hepatology; multi-organ transplant; normothermic machine perfusion; normothermic regional perfusion; organ perfusion and preservation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Death
  • Humans
  • Immunoglobulin Light-chain Amyloidosis*
  • Kidney Transplantation*
  • Liver
  • Male
  • Organ Preservation
  • Perfusion
  • Tissue Donors
  • Tissue and Organ Procurement*