World’s first human bladder transplant performed successfully in the US
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In a landmark moment for medical science, surgeons in the United States have carried out the world’s first human bladder transplant.
This is offering renewed hope for millions of people affected by bladder dysfunction due to disease or injury.
The groundbreaking operation took place on May 4, 2025, at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. A team of surgeons, led by Dr. Nima Nassiri from UCLA and Dr. Inderbir Gill from the University of Southern California (USC), performed the intricate eight-hour procedure on 41-year-old Oscar Larrainzar, a father of four who had lost both kidneys and much of his bladder to cancer. He had been undergoing dialysis for seven years.
During the surgery, doctors transplanted both a bladder and a kidney from a deceased donor. The newly implanted kidney began functioning immediately, producing urine and restoring Larrainzar’s kidney function. Remarkably, he was able to urinate on his own for the first time in years within hours of the surgery.
"Bladder transplantation has been Dr Nassiri's principal academic focus since we recruited him to the UCLA faculty several years ago," said Dr. Mark Litwin, Chair of Urology at UCLA. "It is incredibly gratifying to see him take this work from the laboratory to human patients at UCLA, which operates the busiest and most successful solid-organ transplant program in the western United States."
"This first attempt at bladder transplantation has been over four years in the making," Dr. Nassiri said. "For the appropriately selected patient, it is exciting to be able to offer a new potential option."
This innovative procedure could significantly transform treatment for patients with bladder failure, who previously had limited solutions, such as reconstructing the bladder using intestinal tissue—a method often associated with complications. The new transplant technique offers an alternative that may reduce those risks.
The surgery was the result of years of preparation, including practice procedures on deceased donors using robotic technology. As part of a broader clinical trial, four additional patients are expected to undergo the procedure. Those receiving transplants will require ongoing immunosuppressive therapy to prevent rejection.
