US man witnesses his kidney transplant procedure, Indian-origin surgeon calls it ‘incredible experience’

The viral photos show the man looking at his kidney during the surgery.

US man witnesses his own kidney surgery

In a first, the surgeons at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago performed a kidney transplant on a patient widely awake. On May 24, John Nicholas, 28, witnessed the entire procedure of a kidney being transplanted into his body.

In an Instagram post made on June 25, the hospital said that the surgeons used spinal anaesthesia on Nicholas instead of general anaesthesia. This option may increase access to transplantation for those who are high-risk to undergo general anesthesia, and decrease the length of hospital stay, the post said.

Nicholas, who received a kidney from his childhood friend, was discharged from the hospital in less than 24 hours after the operation. Nicholas suffered kidney issues at the age of 16. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. His kidney function deteriorated after he moved to Chicago. “It became clear he would need a kidney transplant. Little did he know that he was about to become part of a medical milestone,” the post read.

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Satish N Nadig, MD, PhD, a transplant surgeon and director of Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center said, “Inside the operating room, it was an incredible experience being able to show a patient what their new kidney looked like before placing it inside the body.”

Take a look at the photos here:

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The Instagram post garnered plaudits for the surgeons with one saying, “Congratulations to the whole medical team and of course John. Hallelujah. To GOD be the glory!” Another user commented, “Whoaaaa. So incredible! Well done, team!”