WALTHAM, Mass. — A cross-country donor liver transplant has spotlighted the potential of Paragonix Technologies’ LIVERguard® System to transform organ preservation and expand access to life-saving transplants.
In a recent high-profile case, a donor liver was transported more than 2,000 miles from the West Coast to North Carolina using the LIVERguard device, arriving in optimal condition for transplantation at Duke University Hospital. The successful procedure is one of the longest recorded liver procurements involving advanced hypothermic preservation.
Duke’s transplant team, one of the most active in the country, faced a familiar challenge: matching a local patient with a liver donor located thousands of miles away. Under conventional preservation methods, the extended cold ischemic time—the period an organ spends outside the body—might have disqualified the organ for use. However, equipped with the LIVERguard system, the team was able to confidently accept the organ despite the distance.
“Traditionally, geographical limitations have restricted organ acceptance,” said Dr. Andrew Barbas, associate professor of surgery at Duke University Hospital. “Innovations in preservation technology like LIVERguard allow us to consider organs we previously couldn’t, ultimately leading to better matches and outcomes for our patients.”
The LIVERguard system utilizes controlled hypothermic preservation and real-time data monitoring to maintain a stable environment for donor livers during transport. Its compact, portable design is tailored to support long-distance organ travel, ensuring that organs remain viable upon arrival.
With more than 106,000 patients on the U.S. transplant waiting list, technologies that extend the reach of donor organs are increasingly critical. By enabling longer transport times without compromising organ quality, LIVERguard may help increase the number of viable livers available for transplant nationwide.
“This case demonstrates how advanced preservation can honor the donor’s gift by expanding the range of suitable recipients,” said Dr. Lisa Anderson, president of Paragonix Technologies. “With LIVERguard, we are helping transplant teams overcome logistical barriers and bring hope to patients across greater distances than ever before.”
The milestone underscores growing momentum behind innovation in organ transplant logistics and signals a future in which geography may play a smaller role in determining who receives a second chance at life.
