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.

“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.

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.