755-00002 Rev K
LifePort Kidney Transporter Operator’s Manual
39
Side Branches Closed?
There may be small branches coming off of the main renal artery that go to other arteries that have been
snipped off during the recovery process. If these have not been effectively tied off, perfusate can leak
from them during perfusion.
Most of these will already be tied off but others may reveal themselves once perfusion begins. Tie them
off or clamp them as best you can. Depending on conditions:
•
You may not be physically able to identify the leaking vessels.
•
You may not be physically capable of tying off or clamping these vessels.
Vein Positioned on Top?
Having the vein positioned on top of the kidney makes it easy to verify that perfusate is effectively
entering the kidney through the artery and exiting from the vein.
You may encounter situations where flow is seen entering the kidney but is not exiting through the vein.
In this case, the kidney is likely not being effectively perfused—a situation that should be addressed. Just
because perfusate is entering the artery does not automatically mean it is actually moving through the
organ as desired.
Conversely, if you detect a slow leak somewhere but a large volume is coming from the vein, there may
be no reason to be concerned.
Presence of Blood or Perfusate?
Observe the progress and efficacy of the pumping process by observing the nature of the fluid exiting the
kidney. Ideally, as pumping begins, after a short while blood will be flushed from the kidney and will be
seen exiting from the vein. Once the blood has been flushed from the kidney, the exiting fluid should clear
as it becomes mostly perfusate.
This is a subjective observation, depending on how much blood was flushed from the kidney during
removal.
Color of Kidney?
The color of the kidney is another indicator of whether the kidney is being effectively perfused.
Typically, the color of the cortex will initially be darker. As perfusion takes place and begins to flush out
the blood, the kidney will become blanched and more pale. This is an indication that the pumping
procedure is effective. In case some area stays dark, this might be an indication one has missed an
artery, such as the polar artery. Look for this extra artery, cannulate this extra artery and use a Coupler
to connect it to the Circuit. Use prime mode to remove air from the Coupler and extra cannula before
starting to perfuse again.
NOTE:
If some part of the kidney is not being perfused, this might have an effect on the recorded flow
and resistance.