Oscar Larrainzar, 41, received the world’s first full human bladder transplant in a pioneering eight-hour procedure.
Surgeons at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles have successfully performed the world’s first human bladder transplant, officials confirmed Sunday.
The procedure, conducted on May 4, involved 41-year-old Oscar Larrainzar, a father of four who previously lost much of his bladder and both kidneys to cancer and end-stage kidney disease. He had been on dialysis for seven years.
Larrainzar received a donor kidney and bladder in an eight-hour operation. “The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient’s kidney function improved immediately,” said Dr. Nima Nassiri, one of the lead surgeons. “There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.”
Previously, bladder reconstruction relied on intestinal tissue or stoma bags. Nassiri noted this breakthrough could reduce risks tied to traditional methods. “This first attempt at bladder transplantation has been over four years in the making,” he said.