The first kidney transplant only worked because the donor was an identical twin. Seventy years and roughly 100,000 transplants a year later, this TED-Ed video breaks down exactly how the surgery works, from donor match to the new kidney’s first “heartbeat”.
“Some people will have multiple kidney transplants in their lifetime, meaning at some point they may have four or even five kidneys in their bodies.”
~ Alexander H. Toledo
How does kidney transplant surgery work? – Alexander H. Toledo (YouTube)
How does kidney transplant surgery work? (ted.com)
In 1954, Joseph Murray attempted a type of kidney swap that no doctor had tried before. The surgery was a success, and the patient would go on to live with the transplanted organ thanks to one key factor: it came from his identical twin. 70 years later, nearly 100,000 kidneys are transplanted annually in the US alone. So how does this surgery work today? Alexander H. Toledo explains the procedure.
Related Posts:
Cross-Match Kidney Transplant 101
First Kidney Transplant