Preservation of human kidneys for transplantation: preliminary results with a Gambro perfusion machine.

Twenty-six human cadaveric kidneys have been preserved for up to 36 hours by continuous perfusion with 4.5% albumin solution on a Gambro machine. Of these, 20 kidneys were transplanted, and six were discarded owing to poor perfusion characteristics during storage. Immediate function was obtained with four kidneys, of which two had been preserved for over 30 hours.Satisfactory renal function has been obtained with 17 kidneys, and three kidneys were lost owing to rejection or technical complications. It is our experience that human kidneys can be successfully preserved for up to 36 hours by this technique.