Overview

• UCLA surgeons performed the first-ever successful human bladder transplant, overcoming long-standing medical challenges.
• The procedure combined a kidney transplant with a bladder graft from the same donor, ensuring compatibility and functionality.
• Patient Oscar Larrainzar, who had been on dialysis for seven years due to cancer-related bladder and kidney removal, immediately regained full renal function post-surgery.
• The innovative technique addresses previous barriers to bladder transplantation, such as vascularization and accessibility, which left patients reliant on risk-prone alternatives like intestinal reconstructions or external ostomy bags.
• Following over four years of preparation, the team is now initiating clinical trials to evaluate the safety and long-term efficacy of the procedure.