The Role of the Kidney Preservationist
On Call Schedule
Organ donation is inherently unpredictable, meaning the need for our National Preservation Service cannot be scheduled far in advance. To ensure seamless 24/7 availability, we implement a structured on-call system.
To accommodate the possibility of multiple simultaneous donors, two Kidney Preservationists are always on call:
The primary on-call must be immediately available at all times.
The secondary on-call must be immediately available only if the primary is already deployed.
Shifts run from 9:00 PM to 9:00 PM, ensuring each on-call period lasts a full 24hours.
Every Kidney Preservationist is expected to be on call 8 days per month - 4 days as primary and 4 days as secondary. This schedule ensures sufficient procedural exposure to build and maintain the expected level of expertise.
For Exam periods and summer, we operate a modified schedule. For details, please refer to the FAQ-page
Transport to Central Hub
Once a Kidney Preservationist is called in for a procedure, all required equipment must first be collected from our Central Hub in Diegem.
As a Kidney Preservationist, you have three options for reaching the Central Hub, depending on your current location, which are explained below
Safety is our top priority.
- If you are on call at night and safe public transportation is unavailable, the 30-minute radius rule will be waived.
- In urgent cases where traffic conditions prevent timely arrival at the hub, this rule will also be waived.
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Directly with FullControl Medical
FullControl Medical is our dedicated logistics partner, responsible for transporting Kidney Preservationists and HMP-perfused kidneys.
Per our contract, FullControl can collect you from any location within a 30-minute radius of the Organ Recovery Systems (ORS) hub. Eligible pickup points include your dormitory, campus, or parental home.
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Indirectly with FullControl Medical
If your dormitory, campus, or parental home is outside the 30-minute radius of the ORS hub, you must travel independently to a designated pickup location within this radius.
Examples:
- If studying in Ghent, take the train to Brussels.
- If at the seaside for the weekend, drive to a highway rest area near Groot-Bijgaarden or Mechelen.
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Independent travel
If may travel to our Central Hub in Diegem independently by train or car.
Equipment pick up
Upon arrival at the Central Hub, the Kidney Preservationist prepares and collects - within 25 minutes- all required materials. This includes:
- Setting up and verifying the two LifePort® devices;
- Checking and gathering the necessary disposables;
- Collecting all required documentation.
Transport to Donor Hospital
Once all required materials have been collected, the Kidney Preservationist is transported to the donor hospital anywhere in Belgium, with logistics managed by FullControl Medical.
FullControl Medical holds a priority driving license, enabling arrival at any Belgian location within 1.5 hours under normal conditions.
In cases of schedule changes or heavy traffic, urgent transport can be arranged to ensure timely delivery to the donor hospital.
At the donor hospital
Upon reaching the donor hospital, the Kidney Preservationist is escorted directly to the operating theatre. Here, you assume the three core roles previously described: technician, consultant, and representative.
Preparation of the LifePort® System
You set up and prime the perfusion circuits for one or both LifePort® Kidney Transporters, ensuring the devices are fully operational and sterile.
Advisory Role during Cannulation
You advise the surgeon on the optimal cannulation strategy for the renal artery, taking anatomical variations into account.
Connection, Initiation & Monitoring
After the kidney(s) are connected, you verify correct positioning in the cassette, initiate oxygenated hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP), and closely monitor initial perfusion parameters (flow, resistance, pressure, temperature).
Ongoing Management
You administer supplemental oxygen, collect perfusate samples, and promptly address any alarms or technical issues that arise.
Preparation for Transport
You finalize and secure the LifePort® settings, ensuring the perfused kidneys are fully ready for safe transport to the designated transplant center(s).
Provided your primary responsibilities are not compromised and the clinical situation permits, you will also have the opportunity to observe organ procurements, offering valuable insight into the entire organ donation process.
Once the Life Port devices have left for their receiving Transplant Centre, the Kidney Preservation will be returned to the Central Hub by Full Control Medical. However, because the urgency is no longer present, this will not be with priority transport
Transport back to the central hub
Final (administrative) work
Once back at the central hub, the kidney preservationist will replenish the used materials, complete the electronic progress notes, and update the student logbook. After these concluding tasks, which take an average of 10 minutes, the work of the kidney preservationist is done, and they can head home.
Going back Home
The transportation home occurs in the same three ways as mentioned above: directly with FullControl Medical, indirectly with FullControl Medical, or via personal transport.
Once again, the safety of the student is of utmost importance to us, and we always prioritize the safest option for the student. If the student initially arrived at ORS by train but it is now too late, they can be taken to a pick-up point by FullControl Medical.
