ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author reviews some of the background to the development of currently used methods for organ preservation, including machine perfusion and simple cold storage. He discusses the approach our laboratory has taken to development of improved methods for organ preservation. Kidney transplantation in the 1960s was primarily performed between living related donors and recipients. Cadaveric kidneys were obtained only from donors located very close to the recipient’s hospital as preservation times were limited to only a few hours. The goal of organ preservation is to provide methods to preserve organ viability so that all available cadaveric organs can be shared on a national basis and so that the organs will regain optimal function in a short time after transplantation. The successes in organ preservation have been due in large measure to the development of suitable preservation solutions.
