Needs Assessment:
Intraoperative assessment of kidney graft quality is critical to predicting short- and long-term transplant outcomes. While Doppler and B-mode ultrasound are widely available and offer non-invasive insights into perfusion and structure, their ability to reliably detect ischemia-reperfusion injury, fibrosis, or other functional impairments at the time of transplant is limited. This leads to inconsistent evaluations of organ viability and may contribute to poorer graft survival, particularly in marginal or deceased donor kidneys. New imaging biomarkers—such as quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI)—show promise but are not yet adopted in routine surgical workflows.

Faculty: Eno Hysi, PhD, Canada Research Chair

Learning Objective(s)
After participating in this activity, participants will:

• Have increased knowledge describing the limitations of conventional B-mode and Doppler ultrasound in assessing intraoperative kidney graft quality, and explain how emerging imaging techniques such as quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) address these gaps;
• Have better competence interpreting structural and physiological biomarkers derived from QUS and PAI to assess ischemia-reperfusion injury and predict short- and long-term outcomes in kidney transplantation; and
• Demonstrate greater confidence to identify barriers to clinical adoption of advanced intraoperative imaging modalities and outline strategies for integrating QUS and PAI into transplant workflows, including equipment, training, and protocol development.

Target Audience: This activity is intended for nephrologists, urologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists, basic scientists and engineers, sonographers, and other health care professionals interested in learning the latest emerging imaging modalities.

Available Credit: 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™/1 ARRT Category A credit(s). Upon completion of the learning activity, you will have 2 attempts to successfully pass the post-test with a score of at least 80% and claim your certificate.

AIUM Member: $0
Nonmember: $19

Join the AIUM today to access and earn for free.

Your fee includes access to the content and the opportunity to submit the CME test. 

As of January 1, 2025, you will have 2 attempts to successfully pass the post-test with a score of at least 80% and claim your certificate.

Release Date: 05/28/2025
Expiration Date: 05/27/2028 11:59 pm ET 

Estimated time to complete activity: 1 hour

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The AIUM is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The AIUM designates this internet enduring material for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

AIUM Ultrasound Practice Accreditation

This activity can be used to meet part of relevant AIUM Training Guidelines and/or maintenance credits for accreditation purposes. Learn more about AIUM Ultrasound Practice Accreditation here.

ARRT Category A Credit 

The AIUM is a Recognized Continuing Education Evaluation Mechanism (RCEEM) for the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT). The AIUM is the owner and sponsor of this activity. This activity is approved by the AIUM for 1 ARRT Category A credit. This CE activity may be available in multiple formats or from different CE sponsors. ARRT does not allow CE activities (e.g., Internet courses, home study programs, directed readings, live lectures) to be repeated for CE credit in the same CE biennium.

Additional Credit Information

• American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). The ARDMS accepts AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credit(s)™.

Documenting CME Credits

All participants who pass the post-test with a score of at least 80% will have access to claim a CME certificate. The AIUM will submit credits to the ARDMS for active AIUM membership accounts with a valid ARDMS ID number. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure credit accuracy and adherence to any audit requests.

Disclosure Policy

In accordance with the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education, all individuals in control of content must disclose any financial relationship(s) or other relationship(s) held within the past 24 months. The AIUM implements a mechanism to identify and mitigate all conflicts of interest prior to delivering the educational activity to learners.

Disclosures for this Activity

• Eno Hysi, PhD, faculty, has no financial relationships with an ineligible company to disclose.
• Charlotte Henningsen, MS, RT(R), clinical reviewer, has no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
• AIUM education planners and staff: Nicole Fortune and Ashley McDermott have no relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Commercial Support:

There is no commercial support funding for this activity.