Surgeons in California have performed the world’s first successful human
bladder transplant
, marking a major milestone in
urological medicine
. The operation took place at the
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
on May 4, where 41-year-old Oscar Larrainzar received both a bladder and a kidney from a single deceased donor.Larrainzar, a father of four, had previously undergone the removal of most of his bladder due to a rare form of cancer. He later lost both kidneys and had been reliant on dialysis for seven years. The transplant, which lasted eight hours, was conducted by Dr Inderbir Gill from the University of Southern California and Dr Nima Nassiri of UCLA.In a statement, the team confirmed that the kidney was transplanted first and showed immediate signs of function, producing urine straight away. They then connected the kidney to the newly transplanted bladder using a method developed over four years of research. The outcome allowed Larrainzar to stop dialysis completely.Until now, bladder removal has typically been followed by reconstructive surgery using bowel tissue, which introduces risks of infection and other complications due to the presence of bacteria. “This is a historic moment,” said Dr Gill. “A potential door has been opened for patients with non-functioning bladders.”
Larrainzar called the procedure life-changing. “I was a ticking time bomb, but now I have hope,” he told reporters. The team now plans to perform similar transplants on four more patients as part of a clinical trial.However, transplant experts have urged caution. Dr Rachel Forbes, a surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center not involved in the procedure, welcomed the technical achievement but warned of the long-term implications of lifelong
immunosuppressive therapy
. For now, Larrainzar’s recovery offers a promising first step towards a new standard of care.
English (US) ·