BALTIMORE (AP) — Johns Hopkins surgeons transplanted a half-dozen kidneys simultaneously, an operation thought to be the first of its kind, hospital officials announced yesterday.
The six recipients include Jeanne Heise, the wife of Randy Bolten, whose brother is President Bush’s chief of staff, Joshua B. Bolten. Randy Bolten wanted to donate a kidney to his wife, but was incompatible. He was one of the six donors.
The multiple transplant was made possible when a so-called altruistic donor, who was willing to donate to anyone, was found to be a match for one of five transplant candidates, each of whom had a willing but incompatible donor. That enabled a chain of donations ending with a sixth recipient from a national waiting list maintained by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).
“All 12 are doing great, the six kidneys are working well,” said Dr. Robert Montgomery, director of Hopkins’ transplant center and head of the transplant team.
The 10-hour surgeries Saturday used six operating rooms and nine surgical teams.
All six donor surgeries began at the same time and the kidneys remained in the operating rooms, which were sterilized after the removals and readied for transplantation.
Doctors performed a quintuple transplant in 2006 at the hospital also using an altruistic donor and four transplant candidates who had willing, but incompatible, donors.
Mrs. Heise, who has suffered from kidney disease for more than 30 years, was about to go on dialysis when the chain of transplants became possible.
“We want to spread the word about this sort of group surgery and living organ donation,” Mrs. Heise said through the National Kidney Foundation of Northern California.
“The waiting list for a kidney is very long, and too many people die while waiting. With this group procedure, more and more people can beat kidney disease and live long, productive lives.”
More than 75,000 people are waiting for kidney transplants, and 4,352 died while waiting for a kidney last year, a UNOS spokeswoman said.
Dr. Montgomery said the surgeries are performed simultaneously to ensure no one backs out after their loved one has received a kidney.
He said it may be difficult to perform more than six transplants at once.
“I’m sure there’s some sort of limit where logistically it would just be impossible,” he said.
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