“Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of blood flow sensing technology in kidney transplant surveillance”.

Authors

M Malik, School of Nursing and Midwifery

ORCID

• M Malik: 0000-0002-7801-8089

Abstract

AbstractIntroductionVascular thrombosis is a disastrous postoperative complication resulting in the loss of 3.5% to 5.7% of all kidney transplants. The use of novel blood flow-sensing technology in the early postoperative period may allow loss of vascular patency or thrombosis to be detected immediately, which is critical in reducing thrombosis-related graft loss. An implantable Doppler probe utilises blood flow sensing technology to provide continuous feedback on blood flow when connected to a vascular anastomosis. This clinical research aimed to assess the theoretical basis and feasibility of an implantable Doppler probe as a blood flow-monitoring device in kidney transplant recipients and to evaluate its usefulness in preventing early graft loss. Materials and MethodsThe Medical Research Council's (MRC) framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions in clinical settings was followed. Step 1. Development, Step 2: Feasibility, Step 3: Evaluation, and Step 4: Implementation. This research comprised an order of studies with different designs that were undertaken to address the above steps (i.e. literature review, retrospective cohort study, instructive case reports in the specialist area, descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, patient-public involvement consultation (pre-trial), feasibility randomised controlled trial, embedded qualitative study (post-trial), and a systematic review).ResultsBlood flow sensing technology may be used as a beneficial adjunct for graft monitoring after kidney transplants. This preliminary research fills gaps in the evidence and will inform future research. Patient involvement in the study provided valuable insights for developing an intervention that could improve the postoperative care of kidney transplant patients and enhance their overall outcomes and experience.ConclusionThis research represents a significant effort to expand our understanding of the potential benefits of blood flow sensing technology in kidney transplantation. A pragmatic large-scale randomised controlled trial is warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of implantable Doppler probes in clinical practice.Implications Our research has achieved suitable feasibility-level progression criteria and transferability to other transplant centres across the United Kingdom. Moving forward (i.e. Step 3: Evaluation), a pragmatic large-scale controlled study is recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of blood flow sensing technology in clinical settings.

Awarding Institution(s)

University of Plymouth

Supervisor

Robert Fern, Aled Jones

Keywords

Implantable Doppler probe, transplant, graft, flap

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2025

Embargo Period

2025-03-15

Deposit Date

March 2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Recommended Citation

Malik, M. (2025) “Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of blood flow sensing technology in kidney transplant surveillance”.. Thesis. University of Plymouth. Retrieved from https://pearl.plymouth.ac.uk/nm-theses/32