World-first bladder transplant a ‘historic’ success four years in the making

Bladder transplant patient - (Photo courtesy of Nick Carranza, UCLA Health)

Surgeons have performed the world’s first-ever human bladder transplant – calling it a “historic” operation that has the potential to change the lives of millions patients with bladder diseases.

For the first bladder transplant patient Oscar Larrainzar, after seven years on dialysis with no kidneys and a barely functioning bladder, the procedure was a success - with no dialysis needed post-op.