23 May 2025 • In a historic first, surgeons from Keck Medicine of USC and UCLA Health successfully performed the world’s first bladder transplant.

The eight-hour procedure combined a kidney and bladder transplant in a patient who had lost bladder function and required dialysis for seven years. The transplant restored normal urine production immediately post-surgery.

This breakthrough offers a promising alternative to using intestines for bladder reconstruction, potentially reducing long-term risks. While immunosuppression remains a challenge, the procedure marks a major step forward in urologic transplantation.

Source: Keck Medicine of USC | Read Full Story