U.S. Surgeons Complete World’s First Bladder Transplant

UCLA–USC healthcare experts united a kidney and a bladder graft in surgery for the first time worldwide.

Doctors at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center broke new ground by performing the world’s first bladder transplant in a person. Led by Inderbir Gill and Nima Nassiri, eight hours of surgery gave a 60-year-old man new hope by using a kidney and part of a bladder from a donor.

In his perspective, the discovery marked a significant event for transplantation because it might benefit patients whose bladders have stopped working. Urine was produced straight away, so the process of dialysis was stopped after the kidney was linked to a new bladder.

After four years of working closely and getting approvals from the USFDA, the procedure is available. Nassiri added that with the success, it is now possible to conduct increased studies and offer the treatment to select patients.

People in this field believe this step can transform reconstructive urology and make it less common to substitute the bladder with intestinal segments, as it is frequently complicated. After surgery, the team will watch the graft and the immune system of the recipient; these observations are vital for the evolution of composite organ transplants in healthcare.

If things continue to improve in graft transplants, Gill and Nassiri hope bladder grafts could soon become a standard option and mark a new advancement in healthcare for patients.