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In a groundbreaking medical achievement, the world’s first human bladder transplant was successfully performed. The historical surgery was performed on May 4, 2025, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
The eight-hour surgery was a collaborative effort by surgeons from UCLA Health and Keck Medicine of USC, led by Dr. Nima Nassiri (UCLA) and Dr. Inderbir Gill (USC). The recipient was 41-year-old Oscar Larrainzar, a father of four who had suffered from kidney disease and cancer. It led to the removal of both his kidneys and most of his bladder, so he relied on dialysis for seven straight years.
The procedure involved transplanting both kidneys and a bladder from a single organ donor. The surgical team pioneered techniques to connect the new kidney to the new bladder, allowing for immediate urine production and eliminating the need for dialysis.
The medical team had spent over four years preparing for this complex procedure, including practising robot-aided transplants on deceased donors. This first-in-human attempt is part of a clinical trial, with plans for additional surgeries and further assessment of the transplanted bladder’s long-term functions.
