LONDON—Doctors at the University Hospital in recently performed a groundbreaking kidney transplant that allowed the recipient to receive an “incompatible” kidney from her sister despite having dangerously low blood pressure. The recipient’s blood plasma was frozen and filtered to ensure the organ was not rejected.
The operation involved the use of a cryofiltration system to remove plasma from the blood and chill it, turning proteins and antibodies into a gel-like substance. This allowed the antibodies, which can prevent a transplanted organ from being accepted, to be filtered away before the plasma was warmed up and returned to the patient.
As reported by the Times Online, it was the first time the technique had been used in a tissue incompatible transplant. He added that it had been essential because other antibody-removal procedures would have lowered the patient’s blood pressure even further. Both sisters had five sessions of cryofiltration before the transplant operation.
The technique offered the potential to carry out life-saving operations on many more people who would otherwise be ineligible due to rejection and blood pressure problems. “This is an innovative measure we have implemented at the trust which opens the doors of donation for more kidney patients awaiting transplants,” Dr. Rob Higgins said.