Following a rigorous assessment, NICE concluded that advanced perfusion systems offer superior clinical and financial outcomes compared to traditional static cold storage. Data cited in the guidance, referenced as HTG780, indicates that hypothermic oxygenated perfusion improves graft survival rates while simultaneously reducing biliary complications. For clinical teams, this represents a transition toward technology that enhances the utility of extended-criteria donor organs.
In section Releases
UK NICE Backs Routine NHS Funding for VitaSmart Liver Perfusion
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued guidance recommending routine NHS funding for ex-situ machine perfusion devices, including Bridge to Life’s VitaSmart system. The decision marks a shift toward hypothermic oxygenated perfusion as a standard of care for preserving deceased donor livers prior to transplantation.
Don Webber, CEO of Bridge to Life, noted that the recommendation provides critical validation for the system’s clinical and economic advantages. Unlike complex normothermic alternatives, the VitaSmart platform is designed for scalability and integration into existing surgical workflows. Rebeca Sanabria Mateos, a consultant liver transplant surgeon at University Hospitals Birmingham, stated that access to such technology allows teams to manage operating room logistics more effectively while increasing the confidence with which they can utilize donor grafts. The device is currently available in the U.S., Europe, Saudi Arabia, and India.
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