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About

ACTER

Australian Centre for Transplantation Excellence and Research (ACTER)

Austin Health is establishing the Australian Centre for Transplantation Excellence and Research (ACTER).

Through ACTER, we will seek excellence in transplantation innovation and clinical care. This will be achieved by bringing together cutting-edge clinical practice, research, transplant-orientated operational systems, and active consumer participation.   

This collaborative approach will harness advanced technologies and multi-disciplinary expertise in transplantation, positioning Austin Health as a national leader in organ retrieval, transplantation and patient care.

A liver patient

Goals

ACTER’s goals are to improve access to transplantation and the health outcomes and quality of life before, during and after transplantation.

To achieve this, ACTER will:

  • bring together clinical and operational expertise across multiple transplant streams, while embedding consumer experience
  • accelerate translation of research into new and better treatment options
  • develop a holistic model of transplant patient care and wellness.

A national leader in transplant excellence

Austin Health is a major provider of transplants nationally with a long history of excellence. We deliver a broad range of transplants, including liver, intestinal, kidney, multi-visceral, and allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplants, and transplant research.

Notable transplant activities include:

  • The first Australian hospital with both liver and kidney transplant machine perfusion – innovative technology that improves organ viability and transplant success.
  • Responsible for all adult and paediatric liver transplants in Victoria, Tasmania and Southern NSW, through the Victorian Liver Transplant Unit (VLTU).
  • Responsible for retrieval of abdominal organs and tissue in Victoria and Tasmania, through the Victorian and Tasmanian Organ Retrieval Service (VICTORS).
  • Host of the national human donor tissue repository for advancing immunological research, The Australian Donation and Transplantation Biobank (ADTB).
  • Responsible for intestinal transplantation for Australia and New Zealand, through the Australian Intestinal Transplant Service.
  • High immunological risk kidney transplantation: the first Australian centre to offer imlifidase supported transplantation.

Australia's most comprehensive transplant machine perfusion program

Austin Health is the first Australian hospital with both liver and kidney perfusion machines, incorporating normothermic and hypothermic oxygenated technologies that keep organs healthy longer, so more transplants can be successfully performed.

Machine perfusion devices assess and better preserve organs prior to transplantation. This makes it possible to transplant organs that would not be viable without machine perfusion, ultimately improving access and outcomes for patients. Machine perfusion of kidneys is available for Victorians and Tasmanians via the Victorian and Tasmanian Organ Retrieval Service.

Transplant news at Austin Health

Groundbreaking bone marrow transplant leads to leukaemia remission

4 June 2025 - 64-year-old leukaemia patient, Colin, is now in remission following a rare and complex bone marrow transplant performed at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre (ONJ Centre).

 A gift of life for Christmas

 23 January 2025 - Just before Christmas last year, a Warrnambool family got the kind of gift that’s truly priceless. Katrina Brightwell gave her daughter, Mira, a kidney – a life-changing act of love that has already made a huge difference to Mira’s life.

‘It’s a team sport’: How one life was saved by the work of many

14 June 2024 - In early April, a liver transplant at Austin Health showcased the best in medical innovation and multi-disciplinary teamwork. It began with a donor liver, which became a lifeline for one of our sickest patients.

30 years later: Ben's second chance after a liver transplant

19 April 2024 - This week liver transplant recipient Ben Lancaster is celebrating 30 years of good health. At just five years old, Ben became one of the first children at Austin Health to have a liver transplant.

A reunion 49 years in the making

28 March 2024 - Still in good health in his mid-70s and hand in hand with his sister Lianny, Lionel Lee this week stepped foot back inside Austin Hospital for the first time since 1975. It’s been almost 49 years since Lionel received a kidney transplant from his sister. Our sixth ever transplant performed at Austin Health and our first living donor transplant.

Revolutionary new transplant technique breaks down transplant barriers

06 November 2023 - In a groundbreaking medical achievement, a highly sensitised Australian patient, who previously had little hope of receiving a transplant, has been given a renewed chance at life, thanks to a revolutionary immune modification technique.

Australian-first in kidney transplantation

14 August 2023 - Last week saw Austin Health undertake an Australian first and transplant a kidney following the use of a new hypothermic oxygenated perfusion machine. More than 30 staff came together to make the transplant a success.

Australian first to improve kidney transplant access and outcomes

28 February 2023 - In an Australian-first, two complementary machine perfusion technologies are now available to patients at Austin Health to improve access to and outcomes from kidney transplantation in Victoria and Tasmania.

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