Groundbreaking Global Study Establishes First International Benchmark Framework for Pediatric Liver Transplantation
Bridge to life highlights study presented as oral late-breaking clinical trial during "The 2026 International Congress of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS)" in Geneva, Switzerland, May 6-9, 2026
DULUTH, Ga., May 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A first-of-its-kind global multicenter study has established the first international benchmark framework for pediatric liver transplantation (PLT), providing a long-awaited reference framework for morbidity, complications, graft survival, and recipient outcomes across diverse pediatric transplant populations worldwide.
Presented as an oral late-breaking clinical trial during the 2026 International Congress of the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS) in Geneva, Switzerland, this landmark analysis addresses one of the most significant unmet needs in pediatric transplantation: the absence of globally standardized outcome benchmarks to guide graft selection, risk stratification, and post-transplant quality assessment. For additional details, click here for the abstract.
Led by Sapana Verma, MD, PhD, and under the mentorship of Prof. Andrea Schlegel, from Cleveland Clinic, the study analyzed primary pediatric liver transplants performed between 2000 and 2024 across nine high-volume transplant centers spanning North America, Asia, Europe, South America, and Africa/Middle East.
"Globally accepted benchmark standards for pediatric liver transplantation have been sorely lacking," said Dr. Verma. "Our goal has been to establish international benchmark reference standards for morbidity and survival after pediatric liver transplantation and to derive a data-driven graft-selection decision framework across heterogeneous pediatric subgroups."
The benchmark cohort demonstrated significantly lower major morbidity, fewer renal, vascular, and biliary complications, as well as shorter ICU and hospital length of stay. Importantly, the benchmarking model robustly differentiated outcomes across heterogeneous pediatric populations, creating a scalable platform for future global quality assessment and risk-adjusted outcome analysis.
The researchers plan to expand the work to a ≥10,000 recipient multicenter cohort to establish definitive global reference standards and validate outcome thresholds across recipient age, weight, liver disease etiology, graft type, and combined risk profiles.
"This work is highly important because pediatric transplantation has historically lacked the standardized reference points that exist in adult transplantation," said Don Webber, President and CEO of Bridge to Life Ltd. "As the field advances toward precision graft assessment, viability evaluation, and optimized preservation strategies such as hypothermic oxygenated perfusion (HOPE), having robust benchmark standards becomes essential. These reference standards help define not only what success looks like, but how we improve access to safe transplantation for more pediatric patients worldwide."
Research involving Bridge to Life's VitaSmart™ Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE) System has demonstrated HOPE to be safe and effective in pediatric liver transplantation, supporting the growing role of machine perfusion and viability-guided decision-making in this highly specialized population.
As pediatric transplantation moves toward more individualized graft selection and broader use of advanced preservation technologies, these newly established benchmark standards provide a critical foundation for the next generation of clinical decision-making. While benchmarking defines what is achievable, advanced preservation strategies such as HOPE offer a promising pathway to bring higher-risk grafts closer to benchmark-level outcomes.
About Bridge to Life™ Ltd
Bridge to Life™ Ltd is global innovator of organ preservation technologies and solutions, offering premier products such as Belzer UW®, EasiSlush® and the VitaSmart™ Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion System. With a strong focus on product quality, innovation and accessibility, the company serves and partners with leading Transplant Centers and Organ Procurement Organizations globally.
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