Transplant experts at IRR and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh will play a key role in a new clinical network launched to increase the use of technology that gives surgeons vital extra time to check the health of donated kidneys, enabling more life-changing transplants. Andrew Sutherland and Rachel Thomas performing a transplant, taken during filming for the BBC's 'Surgeons: At the Edge of Life' Six people die every week in the UK waiting for a kidney transplant, with more than 7,200 people on the waiting list. Currently, most kidneys from deceased donors are stored and transported via cold storage before being transplanted into recipients. This keeps the kidney functioning but once cut off from the body’s blood circulation, it can quickly become damaged. Optimising machine technique before transplantation Clinicians and researchers at the IRR and Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh will play a key role in a new £5.2 million PERFUSE-UK network, funded by the Stoneygate Trust and Kidney Research UK. The network will connect Edinburgh with transplant centres in Cambridge, London, Oxford and Newcastle to use and develop a technique called normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) before being rolled out across the NHS. NMP allows surgical teams to circulate warmed oxygenated fluid into a donated kidney using a machine pump, preserving it better and giving clinicians more time to assess its suitability for transplant. Dr Euan Bright, Registrar in Transplant Surgery and IRR PhD Student adjusting the conditions of a perfusion machine Researchers at PERFUSE-UK sites will also use NMP to test new drugs and treatment which could lead to the optimisation and repair of donated kidneys, prevent post-transplant rejection and help donated kidneys last longer. Every year, more than 300 kidneys from deceased donors are found to be unsuitable for transplant, but around 80% of these could be healthy enough for perfusion treatment, which could lead to them becoming approved for transplant. IRR Group Leader Andrew Sutherland leads the Edinburgh Perfusion Facility and already uses this NMP technique “in-house” on kidneys donated and transplanted at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. PERFUSE-UK will enable us to bring much needed innovation to kidney transplantation, supporting more time for decision making around which organs are used and supporting us to develop new ways to enhance the condition and long-term function of donated kidneys for the future. This is an important step forward for the kidney transplant community, but most importantly for our patients. Mr Andrew Sutherland IRR Group Leader and consultant transplant surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Related links Andrew Sutherland research group Kidney Research UK BBC's Surgeons: At the Edge of Life (Series 8: 3. Replace and Renew) Tags CIR This article was published on Thursday 29 October 2026
