A 28-year-old kidney transplant patient remained conscious throughout the procedure and was able to catch a glimpse of his new organ, a Chicago hospital said Monday.
Windy City resident John Nicholas said he felt no pain after doctors at Northwestern Medicine performed the first successful kidney replacement surgery on May 24 and was released from the hospital just 24 hours later.
Instead of regular general anesthesia, medical staff opted to use a spinal anesthesia injection, similar to those administered during a Caesarean section.
Transplant surgeon Dr. Satish Nadig stated in a press release Keeping Nicholas awake made the operation more similar to an outpatient procedure.
“Our hope is that awake kidney transplantation will alleviate some of the risks of general anesthesia and shorten patients’ hospital stays,” said Nadig, who is also director of the hospital’s transplant center.
“It was a great experience in the operating room to show the patient what their new kidney would look like before it was put into their body.”
Dr. Vicente Garcia Tomas said the operation was easier for medical staff than many Caesarean sections, and “it was simple and there were no problems.”
Nicholas was also slightly sedated, but called the experience “pretty cool” and said he didn’t even realize it was going on.
“I remember at one point during the operation I asked, ‘Should I expect the spinal anesthesia to kick in?’ They had already done so many surgeries and I was completely unaware of that fact,” he said.
“I really didn’t feel anything. I was sedated for my own comfort, but I still knew what they were doing.”
According to the hospital, patients typically need to stay in hospital for two to three days after a kidney transplant, but Nicholas was released after just one day.
Nicholas was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at age 16 and began having problems with his kidneys. Although he did not require dialysis and was managed with medication, his kidney function began to decline further in 2022, prompting him to look for a new kidney.
His mother had planned to donate her organs, but gave up after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Instead, her friend, Pat Wise, 29, of Indiana, volunteered to donate her friend’s organs after learning of her illness.
“We’ve always called ourselves ‘together ’till death’ friends and this example shows we have each other’s backs,” Nicholas said. “It meant the world to me. It was truly life-changing.”
Following the success of Nicholas’ surgery, Northwestern Medicine plans to launch a new program to help patients remain conscious during kidney surgery.
“This really opens up a whole new door and adds another tool to our toolbelt in the transplant field,” Nadig said.
