A New Chapter in Liver Transplantation at St. Vincent’s University Hospital Begins
22/09/2026
The National Liver Transplant Programme, for the whole country, is based St Vincent’s University Hospital. The team here has been providing life-changing liver transplantation since 1993. Today, thanks to our supporters, they are using new, innovative technology as St. Vincent’s Healthcare Foundation has funded their first Perfusion Machine and specialist training for the team using it.
What is machine perfusion? It’s an advanced technique that allows a donated organ to be preserved and assessed outside the body before transplantation. So, it gives the medical team flexibility to optimise donated organs before transplantation surgery. For patients on the transplant waiting list, this technology represents the potential to increase access to suitable donor organs and improve transplantation outcomes.
The introduction of machine perfusion is not simply about bringing a new piece of technology into the hospital, but it marks an important milestone for liver transplantation at St Vincent’s University Hospital and reflects the commitment to embracing innovation that can give donated organs the best possible chance of helping those who need them.
The team knows that investment in perfusion machinery and training will help advance liver transplantation into the future. At the heart of this work, however, are the generous donors and their families who make transplantation possible. Their decision to donate gives hope to patients and families at some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Every transplant begins with that extraordinary act of generosity.
“The National Liver Transplant Team extends sincere thanks to supporters of St Vincent’s Healthcare Foundation. Your support and generosity are helping us turn advances in technology, training, and clinical expertise into real opportunities for patients waiting for a life-changing transplant”. (Laura Armstrong, Advanced Nursing Practitioner, Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Transplant Services)
Pictured are members of the Liver Transplantation Team at Perfusion training in The Netherlands recently.
