Latest news with #VascularizedCompositeBladderAllograftTransplantProgram
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
USC and UCLA Team Up for World's First-in-Human Bladder Transplant
Historic surgery, the result of years of research at Keck Medicine of USC and UCLA Health, opens the door for improved treatment of non-functioning bladders Surgeons from Keck Medicine of USC and UCLA Health have performed the world's first-in-human bladder transplant. The surgery was successfully completed at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center earlier this month in a joint effort by Inderbir Gill, MD, founding executive director of USC Urology, and Nima Nassiri, MD, urologic transplant surgeon and director of the UCLA Vascularized Composite Bladder Allograft Transplant Program. 'This surgery is a historic moment in medicine and stands to impact how we manage carefully selected patients with highly symptomatic 'terminal' bladders that are no longer functioning,' said Gill, who is also chair and Distinguished Professor of Urology and Shirley and Donald Skinner Chair in Urologic Cancer Surgery with the Keck School of Medicine of USC. 'Transplantation is a life-saving and life-enhancing treatment option for many conditions affecting major organs, and now the bladder can be added to the list.' 'This first attempt at bladder transplantation has been over four years in the making,' Nassiri said. 'For the appropriately selected patient, it is exciting to be able to offer a new potential option.' Nassiri, formerly a urology resident with the Keck School and now assistant professor of urology and kidney transplantation at UCLA, and Gill worked together for several years at the Keck School to develop the new surgical technique, design a clinical trial and secure the necessary regulatory approvals. Numerous pre-clinical procedures were performed both at Keck Medical Center of USC and OneLegacy, Southern California's organ procurement organization, to prepare for this first-in-human bladder transplant. The patient had been dialysis-dependent for seven years. He lost the majority of his bladder during surgery to resect cancer over five years ago, leaving the remainder of his bladder too small and compromised to function appropriately. Both of his kidneys were subsequently removed due to renal cancer. To address these deficits, Drs. Gill and Nassiri performed a combined kidney and bladder transplant, allowing the patient to immediately stop dialysis and produce urine for the first time in seven years. First, the kidney and then the bladder were transplanted. The new kidney was then connected to the new bladder. The entire procedure took approximately eight hours. 'The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient's kidney function improved immediately,' Nassiri added. 'There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.' 'Despite the complexity of the case, everything went according to plan and the surgery was successful,' said Gill. 'The patient is doing well, and we are satisfied with his clinical progress to date.' The recovery of the kidney and bladder from the donor was performed at OneLegacy's Transplant Recovery Center in Azusa, California. All parts of the procedure, including surgery and post-surgical monitoring during the transplantation, were aligned with the highest current clinical and research standards. Millions of people around the globe experience some degree of bladder disease and dysfunction. Some develop terminal bladders that are either non-functioning and/or cause constant pain, repeated infections and other complications. Current treatment for severe terminal cases of bladder dysfunction or a bladder that has been removed due to various conditions includes replacement or augmentation of the urinary reservoir. These surgeries use a portion of a patient's intestine to create a new bladder or a pathway for the urine to exit the body. 'While these surgeries can be effective, they come with many short- and long-term risks that compromise a patient's health, such as recurrent infections, compromised kidney function and digestive issues,' said Gill. 'A bladder transplant, on the other hand, delivers a more 'normal' urinary reservoir and may circumvent some of the challenges associated with using the intestine,' said Nassiri. The biggest risks of organ transplant are the body's potential rejection of the organ and side effects caused by the mandatory immunosuppressive drugs given to prevent organ rejection. 'Because of the need for long-term immunosuppression, the best current candidates are those with a pre-existing organ transplant or those who need a combined kidney and bladder transplant,' said Nassiri. As a first-in-human attempt, there are naturally many unknowns associated with the procedure, such as how well the transplanted bladder will function immediately and over time, and how much immunosuppression will ultimately be needed. 'Despite the unknowns, our goal is to understand if bladder transplantation can help patients with severely compromised bladders lead healthier lives,' said Gill. Bladder transplants have not been done previously, in part because of the complicated vascular structure of the pelvic area and the technical complexity of the procedure. As part of the research and development stage, Gill and Nassiri successfully completed numerous practice transplantation surgeries at Keck Medical Center of USC, including the first-ever robotic bladder retrievals and successful robotic transplantations in five recently deceased donors with cardiac function maintained on ventilator support. Several non-robotic trial runs of bladder recovery were performed at OneLegacy by Gill and Nassiri, allowing them to perfect the technique while working alongside multidisciplinary surgical teams. The bladder transplant was done as part of a UCLA clinical trial. Gill and Nassiri hope to perform more bladder transplants together in the near future. Under Gill's leadership, USC Urology has rapidly established itself as a pioneer and world leader in the most advanced robotic urologic oncologic surgeries for kidney, bladder, prostate, testicular and penile cancers and has achieved important milestones leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to optimize patient outcomes. Information was sourced from Keck Medicine of USC. To learn more, contact
New York Post
19-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
World's first bladder transplant performed in the US: ‘Now I have hope'
Urine for a breakthrough — in a true medical milestone, UCLA surgeons completed the world's first in-human bladder transplant. Dr. Nima Nassiri, a urologic transplant surgeon and director of the UCLA Vascularized Composite Bladder Allograft Transplant Program, led the stream team — providing relief to one lucky patient who had been struggling for years after having most of his bladder removed due to a tumor. 3 The first human bladder transplant was performed at UCLA on patient Oscar Larrainzar. Nick Carranza/UCLA Health 'I was a ticking time bomb,' Oscar Larrainzar, 41, told the New York Times. 'But now I have hope.' The groundbreaking eight-hour operation — performed on May 4 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center — involved extensive research, practice surgeries on animals and deceased donors and the development of new surgical techniques. 'This first attempt at bladder transplantation has been over four years in the making,' Nassiri said in a statement. 'For the appropriately selected patient, it is exciting to be able to offer a new potential option.' Bladder transplants had not been attempted before due to the complex vascular structure of the pelvic area and the technical challenges involved. Current treatments for non-functioning bladders often involve using a segment of the patient's intestine to create a urinary reservoir, which can lead to complications like infections and digestive issues. 3 The team was led by Dr. Nima Nassiri, left, a urologic transplant surgeon. Nick Carranza/UCLA Health 3 The surgery was performed at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on May 4, 2025. Nick Carranza/UCLA Health While the long-term success of the transplanted bladder remains to be seen, Larrainzar's overnight recovery has been promising. 'The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient's kidney function improved immediately,' Nassiri said. 'There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.' The team aims to perform more of these pioneering surgeries in the near future, offering fresh hope to patients with non-functioning bladders. And this is not the only groundbreaking transplant in recent months. Earlier this year, a 'miracle' baby girl was born in the UK to a mom who had undergone a womb transplant. And doctors at NewYork-Presbyterian performed an extremely rare series of heart transplant surgeries that transformed the lives of three children.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Doctor behind robotic kidney transplantation in Mumbai, India rewrites history with world's first in-human bladder transplant
In a historic feat, the world's first in-human bladder transplant has been done by surgeons from Keck Medicine of USC and UCLA Health . "The surgery was successfully completed at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center on May 4, 2025, in a joint effort by Inderbir Gill , MD, founding executive director of USC Urology , and Nima Nassiri , MD, urologic transplant surgeon and director of the UCLA Vascularized Composite Bladder Allograft Transplant Program," the University has said in an official statement, 'This surgery is a historic moment in medicine and stands to impact how we manage carefully selected patients with highly symptomatic 'terminal' bladders that are no longer functioning,' said Gill, the University said. 'This first attempt at bladder transplantation has been over four years in the making,' Nassiri said. 'For the appropriately selected patient, it is exciting to be able to offer a new potential option.' How was the first in-human bladder transplantation done? The patient underwent tumor removal surgery that resulted in the loss of most of his bladder, leaving behind a severely compromised and undersized portion that was no longer functional. Additionally, both of his kidneys were removed due to renal cancer, which developed against the backdrop of pre-existing end-stage kidney disease. Consequently, he had been on dialysis for seven years. The primary risks associated with organ transplantation include the possibility of the body rejecting the new organ and the adverse effects of the immunosuppressive medications required to prevent that rejection, the doctors have said. Soon after the new kidney and bladder were transplanted, it responded well. 'The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient's kidney function improved immediately,' Nassiri said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Най-продаваните ежедневни обувки това лято – виж защо! ZAROTRAVEL® КУПИ СЕГА Undo 'There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.' 'Despite the complexity of the case, everything went according to plan and the surgery was successful,' Gill added. 'The patient is doing well, and we are satisfied with his clinical progress to date.' Who is Dr Inderbir Gill? Dr. Inderbir Gill is chairman and Distinguished professor of the Catherine and Joseph Aresty Department of Urology, founding executive director of the USC Institute of Urology and associate dean for clinical innovation. He is the recipient of Dr. B.C. Roy National Award, presented by the President of India for Eminent Medical Person in India and he was the first Indian living outside of India who was given this award. With more than 750 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 8 text books, Dr. Gill was also awarded the St. Paul's Medal by the British Association of Urological Surgeons. Dr Gill specializes in Urology, Urologic Oncology and Minimally Invasive Urology. As per reports, he moved to the US from India in late 1980s. Dr Gill led the first robotic kidney transplant at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, in Mumbai in 2017. Dr. Nima Nassiri Dr. Nima Nassiri is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Urology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. With clinical interests in kidney transplantation, renovascular surgery, robotic kidney transplantation, urologic reconstructive surgery post-transplantation, and general urology, Dr Nassiri has received a number of awards for excellence in patient care and research, including multiple Young Investigator Awards, USC Choi Family Excellence in Patient-Centered Care Award, the John P. Stein Award, and the inaugural John M. Barry Award through the Urologic Society for Transplantation and Renal Surgery. One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Hans India
18-05-2025
- Health
- Hans India
US surgeons perform world's first in-human bladder transplant
A team of US surgeons has performed the world's first in-human bladder transplant, it was announced on Sunday. Surgeons from Keck Medicine of University of Southern California and University of California Los Angeles Health completed the surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, in a joint effort by Inderbir Gill, founding executive director of USC Urology, and Nima Nassiri, MD, urologic transplant surgeon and director of the UCLA Vascularized Composite Bladder Allograft Transplant Program. 'This surgery is a historic moment in medicine and stands to impact how we manage carefully selected patients with highly symptomatic 'terminal' bladders that are no longer functioning,' said Gill. 'Transplantation is a lifesaving and life-enhancing treatment option for many conditions affecting major organs, and now the bladder can be added to the list,' he added. The patient had been dialysis-dependent for seven years. He lost the majority of his bladder during surgery to resect cancer over five years ago, leaving the remainder of his bladder too small and compromised to function appropriately. Both of his kidneys were subsequently removed due to renal cancer. 'This first attempt at bladder transplantation has been over four years in the making,' Nassiri said. 'For the appropriately selected patient, it is exciting to be able to offer a new potential option.' Nassiri and Gill worked together for several years at the Keck School to develop the new surgical technique, design a clinical trial and secure the necessary regulatory approvals. To address these deficits, Gill and Nassiri performed a combined kidney and bladder transplant, allowing the patient to immediately stop dialysis and produce urine for the first time in seven years. First the kidney, then the bladder, were transplanted. The new kidney was then connected to the new bladder. The entire procedure took approximately eight hours. 'The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient's kidney function improved immediately,' Nassiri added. 'There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.' 'Despite the complexity of the case, everything went according to plan and the surgery was successful,' said Gill. 'The patient is doing well, and we are satisfied with his clinical progress to date.'
