Successful Rapid Kidney Transplant: Recipient Discharged Just a Day After Surgery
A Revolutionary Medical Procedure: Awake Kidney Transplant at Northwestern Medicine
In a remarkable medical breakthrough that could revolutionize organ transplants, doctors at Northwestern Medicine in Illinois have successfully performed an awake kidney transplant on a 28-year-old man. This groundbreaking surgery, carried out without the use of general anesthesia, has opened new doors in the field of transplantation.
The surgery was performed on John Nicholas of Chicago, a man diagnosed with Crohn's disease early in life who began to experience kidney problems at 16. Despite medications keeping his health stable until 2022, his kidney function started to decline significantly, making him a suitable candidate for transplantation.
Nicholas agreed to undergo the innovative procedure known as the Accelerated Surgery Without General Anesthesia in Kidney Transplantation (AWAKE) program, a pioneering approach where patients remain awake during the surgery. This procedure uses regional anesthesia, similar to that deployed for cesarean sections.
"The anesthesia for the awake kidney transplant was easier than many C-sections," said Garcia Tomas, chief of regional anesthesiology and acute pain medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, in a hospital statement. "For John's case, we placed a spinal anesthesia shot in the operating room with a little bit of sedation for comfort."
The operation took under two hours and Nicholas, who could see his best friend's donated kidney just before it was inserted into his body, was discharged less than a day later. In contrast, a typical transplant might require two to three days of inpatient recovery.
"It was a pretty cool experience to know what was happening in real time and be aware of the magnitude of what they were doing," said Nicholas in a statement. "At one point during surgery, I recall asking, 'should I be expecting the spinal anesthesia to kick in?' They had already been doing a lot of work and I had been completely oblivious to that fact. Truly, no sensation whatsoever."
The AWAKE program, now being formally established and expanded at Northwestern Medicine, could potentially widen the pool of potential transplant recipients, benefitting those who can't tolerate general anesthesia or have a phobia of it. The program may also lead to shorter and safer transplants for eligible patients, improving long-term outcomes and advancing the field of transplantation.
"The AWAKE program is another tool in our toolbelt for the field of transplantation," said Satish Nadig, transplant surgeon and director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, in a statement. "It really opens up a whole new door."
- This groundbreaking surgery, a part of the AWAKE program, could potentially expand the pool of potential transplant recipients, benefiting those who can't tolerate general anesthesia or have a phobia of it.
- The success of the awake kidney transplant on John Nicholas at Northwestern Medicine could revolutionize organ transplants, particularly by reducing the need for general anesthesia.
- In the field of transplantation, the AWAKE program, which uses regional anesthesia, may lead to shorter and safer transplants for eligible patients, improving long-term outcomes.
- The future of transplantation could see a significant shift with the establishment and expansion of the AWAKE program at Northwestern Medicine, as it may advance the field and offer new possibilities for those in need of kidney transplants.
