World premiere: Historical bladder transplantation saves quality of life!

World premiere: Historical bladder transplantation saves quality of life!

Los Angeles, USA - On May 4, 2025, a medical milestone was reached in the Ronald Reagan Ucla Medical Center in Los Angeles: a 41-year-old patient received a bladder and kidney transplant during an eight-hour operation. This was described by the responsible surgeons as historical success. The transplant took place with a newly developed technology, which made it possible to connect the two organs via the complex vascular structure of the pelvis.

The intervention was led by surgeon Nima Nassiri, who was pleased to report on the immediately positive results. "The kidney immediately produced a large amount of urine and the patient's kidney function improved immediately," said Nassiri. After the operation, no dialysis was required, which is a significant relief for the patient who had previously been dependent on dialysis for seven years.

The patient's history

The patient, a four -time family man, had already been given a large part of his bladder and both kidneys due to cancer. Before this transplant, it was dependent on artificial bladder solutions that were made from part of the intestine, or the use of a stoma bag. These alternatives are associated with various risks that the doctors now want to deal with the complete bladder transplant.

The doctors of the UCLA Medical Center worked for this first attempt at a bladder transplant for over four years. Such operations had previously not been possible due to the anatomical challenges. The hope is that this success will not only benefit the current patient, but also represents a new therapy option for many other affected people.

The importance of transplantation

The first successful kidney transplant was carried out by Joseph E. Murray in 1954. Over the past 30 years, over 5,000 kidney transplants have been carried out at the Transplantation Center of the University of Munich/Großhadern, including over 500 kidneys after a kidney donation. Thanks to modern immunosuppressants and intensive aftercare programs, the chances of success in kidney transplants have improved significantly.

The data for the number of transplants carried out worldwide impressively show how important these medical interventions have become. Statista provides valuable information and statistics.