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Vanderbilt Health Performs First Successful Kidney Transplant Using New Organ Preservation Technology

Vanderbilt University Hospital becomes first hospital in Tennessee to adopt advanced preservation technology for kidney transplantation to expand the donor pool

Paragonix Technologies, Inc., a leader in organ preservation technology, and Vanderbilt Health, one of the oldest and largest kidney transplant programs in the country, are proud to announce the successful transplantation of a donor kidney using the Paragonix KidneyVault™ Renal Perfusion System. The FDA-cleared portable hypothermic perfusion technology is designed to preserve and transport donor kidneys. Vanderbilt is the first in Tennessee, and one of the first in the entire Southeast to use this innovative system for kidney transport.

The adoption of KidneyVault is the latest advancement in Vanderbilt’s commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology in the organ transplantation process. By pioneering new approaches, Vanderbilt is able to serve more patients, including high-risk patients who may not be candidates at other medical centers.

“We used the technology for transport and pumping and were satisfied with the overall feel and appearance of the kidney at the time of reperfusion,” said Christian Crannell, MD, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Division of Kidney & Pancreas Transplantation. “We also appreciated knowing where the kidney was during transport and knowing the organ temperature.”

More than 106,000 patients are currently on the national transplant waitlist in the U.S., with 86% waiting for a kidney. Expanding donor pools and optimizing available resources is critical. Hypothermic machine perfusion has shown significant benefits for kidney transplants. KidneyVault’s compact and easy-to-transport design combines proven perfusion techniques with advanced digital monitoring, ensuring donor kidneys arrive in optimal condition and improving the process from donation to recipient.

“Paragonix is committed to expanding access to donor organs and improving patient outcomes, and we’re thrilled to see Vanderbilt Health introduce KidneyVault to its community,” said Lisa Anderson, Ph.D., President of Paragonix Technologies. “Innovations like KidneyVault enable transplant centers to accept organs from greater distances and with more logistical complexity than ever before. We look forward to empowering the clinical community to maximize the use of Paragonix devices, giving every donor kidney the best chance to reach a patient in need.”

For more information about Paragonix Advanced Organ Preservation devices, please visit www.paragonix.com.

About Paragonix Technologies

Paragonix Technologies is a leading developer, manufacturer, and service provider in the organ transplant industry, establishing a novel approach to organ preservation.

A Getinge company, Paragonix Technologies provides Advanced Organ Preservation (“AOP”) devices that safeguard donor organs during the journey between donor and recipient patients. Their FDA-cleared and CE-marked devices incorporate clinically proven and medically trusted cold preservation techniques that allow unprecedented physical and thermal protection to the organ during transit. All Paragonix AOP devices are natively integrated with a novel digital app, delivering real-time organ tracking data and monitoring logistics for transplant teams seeking a secure and centralized solution. For more information, visit www.paragonix.com.

About Getinge

With a firm belief that every person and community should have access to the best possible care, Getinge provides hospitals and life science institutions with products and solutions aiming to improve clinical results and optimize workflows. The offering includes products and solutions for intensive care, cardiovascular procedures, operating rooms, sterile processing and life science. Getinge employs approximately 12,000 people worldwide and the products are sold in more than 135 countries.

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