The Lower Saxony regional group of the Federal Association of Organ Transplant Recipients (bdo eV) introduces itself

Thorsten Huwe

The uncertainty during the waiting period for a donor organ is often stressful, especially when one feels alone with the associated problems.

Even after a transplant, life needs to be reorganized to achieve the ultimate goal – the long-term preservation of the donor organ. In the Lower Saxony regional group of the Federal Association of Organ Transplant Recipients (bdo e.V.), you have the opportunity to talk about your worries and fears, so that you can better cope with the treatment process, even during challenging times. Four times a year, the group aims to foster the exchange of ideas among its members and also provides information on medical topics of interest to all transplant recipients.

About me – my name is Thorsten Huwe, I was born in 1965, am married, and have three children. I come from the Celle district and have a house there where we all often gather. I became involved with organ donation and the German Federal Association of Organ Transplant Recipients (BDO) through my daughter Luisa, who herself was waiting for a heart transplant and received a donor heart on April 13, 2019, after seven weeks on the high-urgency list. Thanks to Hannover Medical School! A seminar for relatives led me to the decision to learn more about organ donation.
I am passionate about facilitating an exchange among those affected, exploring their worries and fears, but also the hopes that arise from them. I want to bring people together to show them that they are not alone. Our next meetings will take place on September 14, 2019, for a hike (location and time to be announced) and on November 30, 2019, at the Hannover Medical School (MHH).

That's what I'm committed to.

Best regards, Thorsten Huwe
Contact: thorsten.huwe@bdo-ev.de

Published in Alpha1 Journal 1-2019.

MHH Press Release: Transport system for donor lungs approved in the USA following MHH study

MHH Press and Public Relations
Stefan Zorn, Director

Transport system for donor lungs approved in the USA following MHH study; study on organ care system for the lungs successful / American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants approval / publication in Lancet Respiratory Medicine

A large international research team led by physicians from Hannover Medical School (MHH) has demonstrated in the INSPIRE clinical trial that transporting and storing donor lungs in the Transmedics Organ Care System (OCS) is safe and effective compared to the current standard procedure of storing them at four degrees Celsius. Another clinical advantage: Patients who received an organ from the OCS experienced primary graft dysfunction less frequently, a common complication of refrigerated storage, which usually occurs within the first 72 hours. “This could mean that patients can be ventilated for a shorter time and discharged sooner,” says Professor Dr. Gregor Warnecke, senior consultant at the MHH Clinic for Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplant and Vascular Surgery (HTTG) and principal investigator of the study. Twenty-one transplant centers participated in the international study, with MHH treating the largest group of patients. The physicians published their findings in the journal “Lancet Respiratory Medicine.”.

Based on the results of the study, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already granted approval for the OCS for storing lungs for transplantation at the end of March.

Advantages of the Organ Care System

The OCS is a mobile device for ex vivo lung perfusion. Inside the device, the organ is transported at body temperature, perfused with a blood-like solution, and supplied with nutrients. The lungs are ventilated within the OCS, allowing them to oxygenate themselves. The device gives physicians up to twelve hours to transport the donor organ, assess lung function, and improve it: for example, by drying out fluid retention and suctioning mucus. "This way, the organ reaches the recipient in a significantly better condition than with the previously standard cold storage," says Professor Warnecke. "And the operations can also be planned more effectively – ultimately benefiting patient safety!" Professor Dr. Axel Haverich, Director of the MHH Clinic for Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplant, and Vascular Surgery, adds: "The number of organ donations in Germany is steadily declining. The OCS enables us to implant donor organs from more distant European countries here in Hanover – something that was previously impossible."“

The current standard method for transporting transplants at four degrees Celsius only gives transplant surgeons up to ten hours. During this time, the organ deteriorates continuously due to a lack of blood and nutrient supply, resulting in primary transplant dysfunction in up to 30 percent of patients after transplantation. This dysfunction leads to a decline in lung function and can ultimately be fatal.

Various aspects of the research and development of ex vivo lung perfusion were supported by the three major transplantation research consortia of the MHH: the Cluster of Excellence REBIRTH (From Regenerative Biology to Reconstructive Therapy), the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) and the Integrated Research and Treatment Center for Transplantation (IFB-Tx).
Further information can be obtained from the MHH press office, telephone (0511) 532-6772.

A photo is attached. It shows Professor Dr. Axel Haverich, Director of the MHH Clinic for Cardiac, Thoracic, Transplant and Vascular Surgery, next to an OCS. You may use it free of charge in connection with this press release, provided you cite “MHH/Kaiser” as the source and send us a copy.

MHH Press and Public Relations
Stefan Zorn, Head
Telephone: 0511 532-6772, Fax: 0511 532-3852, pressestelle@mh-hannover.de, Carl-Neuberg-Straße 1, 30625 Hannover. Further information from the MHH can be obtained at [website address missing]. www.mh-hannover.de