Historic U.S. Kidney Transplant Performed on Awake Patient

A medical team at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago has successfully performed a rare kidney transplant where the patient, John Nicolas, remained awake throughout the procedure. Utilizing a spinal epidural shot, commonly used in C-sections and colonoscopies, the team was able to numb Nicolas while he was partially drowsy due to a mild sedative. This allowed him to interact with the surgeons during the operation. The chief of transplant surgery, Satish Nadig, indicated that this approach could provide greater access to transplants for high-risk patients and potentially reduce hospital stays.

Nicolas's surgery lasted under two hours, and he was discharged the following day, marking a significant milestone as an outpatient procedure. The success of this operation suggests that awake kidney transplants could become a viable option for certain patients, enhancing their recovery experience and potentially revolutionizing the standard practices for transplant surgeries.