Latest news with #organtransplant
CNN
11 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
The Organ Transplant Revolution Starts Here - Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta - Podcast on CNN Audio
Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:00:03 What you're about to hear is a story of history in the making. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:00:20 A medical first, a story of survival, bravery, and heroism. I'm not a hero. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:00:29 To try and solve a crisis. Taking the clamp off the artery. Nice and pink, yeah. You see, at any given moment, more than 100,000 people are waiting. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:00:56 And every day 17 people sadly will die. Speaker 2 00:01:00 For any organ that you name. Only 10% make it on the list. There's just not enough of. There's not enough. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:06 Now, the potential answer to this problem might sound crazy to many. Speaker 7 00:01:10 I have received a major, major, groundbreaking organ transplant. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:19 Controversial to some Speaker 7 00:01:21 for that animal. This is a life of deprivation. It's an early death. It is much suffering. I don't think that's ever okay. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:28 Even blasphemous to others. Speaker 5 00:01:30 Contacted the bishop and then the Vatican sent me a paper Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:34 But now, more than ever, it's also incredibly promising. Could animals be the answer? Is it right? Is it wrong? Can it even work? Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:49 That is an ultrasound with a pig kidney inside Tim, something that very few Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:01:54 people ever get to see. For the last two years, we've been searching for answers. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:02:01 It's powerful just to be here with these pigs. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:02:05 I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and here is part one of Animal Farm. In the remote mountains of Patagonia, about as far from civilization as you can get, Robert Montgomery almost died. Robert Montgomery 00:02:22 I had a cardiac arrest and my son was doing CPR on me and they put me in the back of a truck and drove me to a hospital and they looked at me and said we can't take care of this. They brought an ambulance up and continued resuscitation and drove five hours to the closest hospital. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:02:47 I've heard a lot of extraordinary stories throughout my career, but just the idea, the cardiac arrest, and then your son doing chest compressions on you. Robert Montgomery 00:02:54 Yeah, he saved my life. When I woke up I couldn't do anything, I couldn't walk or talk. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:03:09 That he even survived. It really is just so extraordinary. But still, the underlying problem, something known as dilated cardiomyopathy, where the heart is just too weak to adequately pump blood, that was still with him, lurking, constantly threatening his life. Robert Montgomery 00:03:28 Father died at 52 from cardiomyopathy, the same disease that I had. Brother dropped dead at 35. Another brother got a heart transplant at 39. And then me. I basically accepted that I might not live a normal lifespan. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:03:51 Almost every single man in his family, sick or dying of this heart disease. Was it your father's doctor who said that transplantation really wasn't going to be a solution? Robert Montgomery 00:04:04 My mother was really begging him to come up with something, and he said, you know, he's too old and... Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:04:12 52 Robert Montgomery 00:04:13 52 and it doesn't work anyway, so you wouldn't want that. That was 1976 Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:04:20 Even though the first successful heart transplant was back in 1967 in South Africa, it would take decades for it to become widely available. Not in time for Dr. Montgomery's dad. And so Robert Montgomery was given a mission, become a transplant surgeon, and hopefully one day save people just like his dad. Robert Montgomery 00:04:43 Alright, how does that look with the camera? Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:04:45 'It wasn't easy. By age 56, he had had three near-catastrophic cardiac arrests himself. The only cure, he was told, was a heart transplant. Robert Montgomery 00:04:56 For any organ that you name, only 10% make it on the list. I wasn't sick enough to get on the lists. You have to get so sick before you would even qualify to be in the running to receive an organ. And it's just unacceptable. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:05:12 And that's all because we have to ration organs. There's just not enough of them. Robert Montgomery 00:05:17 There's just not enough. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:05:18 But then it was the summer of 2018 when Robert Montgomery suddenly became sick enough. Once again, he was overseas. This time it was Italy, with his wife Denise. Denise Montgomery 00:05:30 Have four heart attacks that Robert Montgomery 00:05:32 I just had one cardiac arrest after another. They gave me last rights. Denise Montgomery 00:05:39 They revived him. He said I will die if I don't get out of here. Robert Montgomery 00:05:43 They left my IVs underneath my shirt and they gave my friend a bundle of preloaded resuscitation drugs and syringes and flew back because I knew that was my ticket. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:05:58 The odds of survival were still not in his favor. Robert Montgomery 00:06:02 Hi sweetheart Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:06:03 'You see, even after making it on the list, 17 people die every day while waiting. Remarkably, just three weeks later, a heart became available. But it came with a catch. His donor had died of a heroin overdose, and the heart was infected with hepatitis C. In the transplant world, that is typically a no-go. In fact, thousands of hep C-infected organs are discarded every year. But Dr. Montgomery insisted that his doctors still give it to him. Robert Montgomery 00:06:35 We had just done a study showing that you could take a hepatitis C positive organ and put it into a hepatitis C negative recipient and treat them with these new antivirals. You could successfully treat the virus. Denise Montgomery 00:06:47 Robert wasn't worried, and so I was. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:06:52 It was a risk, transplanting an infected organ into someone who had his immune system suppressed. But you're probably starting to see a pattern here. Montgomery was once again willing to take the chance and prove that these infected hearts could be used safely. Robert Montgomery 00:07:09 Hello to all my friends. And it worked. Thank you for your kind thoughts and your prayers, and I'm making a very nice recovery. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:07:18 Within weeks, he was able to walk out of the hospital. Today, he wants to show me the place he comes to treat patients, just like him. Robert Montgomery 00:07:27 I was in this room right around the corner, so I have good feelings about this place actually. It's like hope. Yeah, it's hope. It represents hope. Behind that door, yeah. Denise Montgomery 00:07:37 He is a man on a mission. He wants to see this eradicated. Robert Montgomery 00:07:43 If this were like a cancer drug, we wouldn't allow something to be rationed like this, right? We just don't have any choice right now. So we need another choice. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:07:52 Another choice which Montgomery is now racing to find. Tim Andrews 00:07:57 I'll help you down. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:07:58 Another choice, hopefully, for this man. Tim Andrews has been living with diabetes since the 1990s, successfully managing it with insulin. Retired and happily married to his second wife, Karen, these empty nesters had big plans for their new life together, traveling the world, until one day in 2022. Tim Andrews 00:08:19 I got tired, I was like, oh my god, I'm gonna fall asleep or something. So I was checked and they said, oh yeah, stage three, kidney failure. Oh, okay. And a month later they're telling me, I am at end stage. Wow, just one month. Just one month, just quit on it. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:08:38 And what were you feeling like at that point? Tim Andrews 00:08:40 I mean, I was told, literally told, you have dialysis or you pick a box. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:08:50 It was a false choice, certain death or dialysis, meaning being dependent on a machine for the rest of his life. Tim Andrews 00:08:59 The first couple of months was like, hey, this is not gonna be so bad. As time went on, like six months in, I had a heart attack. It takes a toll on you emotionally and physically. Tim Andrews 00:09:29 This is where I get to sit. Without it, six weeks, eight weeks later, I'd be dead. It's a necessary evil. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:09:37 Necessary at least until he could get a kidney transplant. But again, just as with Montgomery, he knew that could take a while, might never happen, and the clock was ticking. I was ready to die in this chair. And that is when he learned about another option, brand new, still relatively untested. Speaker 11 00:09:58 Some people said, there's not enough information. Don't do this yet. Don't this yet." Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:10:09 You can't really tell by looking at them, but these tiny piglets have been genetically engineered to make their organs more acceptable for transplantation into humans. It's something known as xenotransplantation. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:10:22 So Mike, how unusual is it for us to even be here? Mike Curtis 00:10:25 This is very unusual. We usually try to limit this to only the staff that takes care of the animals. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:10:31 Mike Curtis is the CEO of biotech company eGenesis. Never before has he let cameras onto this very special pig farm. Mike Curtis 00:10:40 Everything's controlled, like all of the feed is clean, water's clean, the staff is clean. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:10:45 And I should just point out that I walked into a room, turned on a filter, essentially cleaned the air for five minutes before I could then go shower. That's why my hair is wet. I put on everything new here, including underwear, socks, shoes. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:10:59 The goal is to protect the pigs from us. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:11:14 You know, I got to tell you, I did not know what to expect, but it's powerful just to be here with these pigs. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:11:23 After all, these pigs are among the most genetically modified mammals on the planet. Mike Curtis 00:11:29 These piglets carry a total of 69 edits to the genome. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:11:34 Alterations to their DNA. Mike Curtis 00:11:37 We're trying to reduce the risk of disease transmission from the porcine donor to human, we're editing in a way that reduces or eliminates hypercute rejection, and then we add human regulatory trans genes to control rejection. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:11:50 'To do that, scientists take the unedited pig cells and use a gene editing tool called CRISPR. They add special CRISPR fluids to the cells, which splices out certain genes and adds other genes. You can't really see anything with the naked eye and it takes only seconds, but what is happening in this vial is truly remarkable. Let me take a second and explain. First of all, remember that all DNA is made up of four chemical bases, A, C, G and T. Think of that as your genetic blueprint. Now, a pig's DNA and a human's DNA, they actually look pretty similar, but there are some important differences. For example, the GGTA1 gene that is responsible for a carbohydrate that forms around a pig cell known as alpha-gal. Now if you put that into a human, it would cause almost instantaneous rejection. But by knocking out that specific sequence and then adding in others. Scientists can make the pig's organs much more compatible for humans. Mike Curtis 00:12:55 So in the freezer are all these cells that we've edited. We thaw that vial, we grow those cells, and then we take the nucleus from that edited cell and we transfer it. It's akin to what was done with Dolly back in the 90s, cloning. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:13:09 'And that is the process by which they have created a modern-day assembly line of genetically modified pigs. Mike Curtis 00:13:17 We've selected the Yucatan Mini Pig because fully grown, they're about 70 kilos, 150 pounds. Right, so the organs are correctly sized for a human recipient. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:13:27 Ultimately, you've got to get the size right. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:13:31 Now, if the idea of using animals for human transplants sounds familiar to you, it's because the concept has been around for a long time. There have been at least 48 cases reported in the medical literature since the 1900s. You may remember one of the most famous. Robert Montgomery 00:13:46 This is Baby Faye. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:13:47 Little baby Faye in 1984. She had a baboon heart that kept her alive for 20 days. But there was always the stubborn issue of rejection. And so for a long time, xenotransplants faded into the background. Robert Montgomery 00:14:01 I think we've turned up the throttle significantly. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:14:05 What's led to that? Robert Montgomery 00:14:06 What we did is transplanted one of these organs into someone who had wanted to donate their organs was brain dead. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:14:14 'You heard that right. The first human patients to receive the gene-edited pig kidneys were brain dead. Why? In order to move the field forward without moving too fast. First, the scientists just wanted to prove that pig organs could survive in a human body. Dr. Robert Montgomery performed that operation on Maurice Miller, who was brain dead Robert Montgomery 00:14:39 We took the clamps off to let the blood go into the organ and it turned this beautiful pink color and started to make urine immediately. Robert Montgomery 00:14:48 Pretty looking kidney. Robert Montgomery 00:14:49 'That was mind-blowing. So it looks a lot like a human kidney. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:14:54 In fact, when I first met Dr. Montgomery a few years ago, he was reviewing Maurice Miller's kidney biopsy. Here's what they learned. About a month into the transplant, the pig kidney did begin to show signs of rejection. Robert Montgomery 00:15:08 See that red? Yes. That's hemorrhage. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:15:11 'But importantly, standard anti-rejection drugs did work. And the kidney function is okay? Robert Montgomery 00:15:18 It's back to normal. Robert Montgomery 00:15:20 It gave, I think, the FDA some confidence that this was going to work in humans. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:15:27 'With all that research in the background, in 2022, the University of Maryland School of Medicine announced the first xenotransplant into a living recipient, someone who is not brain dead. It would be a pig heart into 57-year-old David Bennett. Give me a high five, buddy. That was awesome. David Ayers 00:15:46 We saw two months survival of that patient and now incrementally seeing longer and longer survival in these compassionate use patients. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:15:55 David Ayers is a giant of a man. Seeing him on this farm in Blacksburg, Virginia, you may not know that he is also considered one of the most widely regarded geneticists in the world. David Ayers 00:16:06 We have about 300 research animals here. We grow the designated pathogen free pigs that were ultimately used for the decedent studies, as well as the patients that have received our organs for transplant, both hearts and kidneys. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:16:23 He's taking me to meet some of the farm's newest arrivals. David Ayers 00:16:28 Watch your head, maybe that's just me. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:16:34 There's a lot of piglets David Ayers 00:16:37 Do you want to hold one? Yeah, sure. So these are ten gene Clone Piglets. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:16:44 Here at United Therapeutics, they perform 10 gene edits on their pigs. Now remember, eGenesis in Wisconsin perform more than 60. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:16:57 If you're doing 6 times as many edits does that make it much better? David Ayers 00:16:58 I don't think more edits is necessarily better or worse. The additional 50 edits that eGenesis has done are to inactivate an endogenous pig virus. We've actually addressed that by breeding. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:17:12 In 2024, the first pig kidney transplant was announced. Speaker 14 00:17:16 My name is Dr. Leo Riella. I'm medical director of the kidney transplant program Mass General. Today, we announce the successful gene added to pay kidney transplant into a living human. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:17:28 Tim Andrews, still on dialysis, was watching all of this unfold. Tim Andrews 00:17:34 I'm like, oh, they're doing it at Mass General. And I was like, I have to be part of this. I'm not gonna make it, but I'll make it to this. And I'll tell you right up front, if it's one day and you learn something, thank God. Dr. Riella 00:17:50 His eyes really sparked up and he said, tell me what I need to do. Speaker 11 00:17:56 And they said, prepare your body for battle, because it's gonna be a battle. He had to do dental work, he had to go to physical therapy. We signed up for the gym. When he came back to see Dr. Riella, he had lost 22 pounds. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:18:13 Did you have any doubts along the way? Tim Andrews 00:18:16 You know, there's always doubt with it, but I'm like, this is my chance to do something. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:18:23 You're going to be in medical history books forever. Tim Andrews 00:18:27 Kids are going to be taught how to do it, watching me have one put in me. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:18:33 They'll know your name. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:18:38 It's a crisp January morning back at the Egenesis Pig Farm in Wisconsin. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:18:44 It's been more than a year since our first visit. Speaker 3 00:18:47 This is many years in the making. So Raphael, she'll be able to donate one of her kidneys to a man who's in dire need. And essentially, she's saving his life. Speaker 15 00:18:59 Go, Raphael! It's a really big moment. There's a lot of emotions. We love our piglets like our own. Thinking about the purpose that Raphael is serving, like getting to go and give someone a new lease on life is just such a gift. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:19:18 That someone is Tim Andrews. Raphael will be his donor. Tim Andrews 00:19:25 What a gift. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:19:30 'As Rafael departs for the 17-hour trip to Boston, Tim settles in at Mass General. Tim Andrews 00:19:37 I knew I was in great hands, these guys are just so good. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:19:42 Were you nervous the morning of? Dr. Riella 00:19:45 And we'll see you on the other side, getting ready. As a new man. We're all anxious and nervous about going through a procedure that has not been done before. And having that reassurance from him also brings a lot of positivity to the entire team. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:20:02 It's early morning, January 25th, when Dr. Riella and the surgical team travel about 50 miles outside of Boston to meet Rafael. Dr. Riella 00:20:11 It was an OR, very similar to what we see in the hospital, and the surgery to retrieve the organs occur there. They look very similar to how we do procurements. I think uniqueness is really that, who was a donor, who was coming, yeah, it was a pig. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:20:29 It's go time! Speaker 11 00:20:30 It's a dance to get the pig kidney there and get him in the operating room. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:20:37 They gotta coordinate it. Speaker 11 00:20:37 So a nurse came and said, okay, good to go. I'm like, wait, wait. We haven't said goodbye. You can't say goodbye. Oh, yes, I can. So, I actually made them wait and they said, we've got to go, I'm saying goodbye to my husband before he leaves for surgery and he may not come back. Speaker 17 00:21:00 It's a little chilly in here, okay, Tim? Tim Andrews 00:21:01 I like cold. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:21:02 The operation lasts a little over two hours, around the same as a traditional transplant, and the big kidney. It looks, feels, and functions very much like a human kidney. And here is when surgeons connect the pig kidney to Tim's artery and vein. After that, the moment of truth. Surgeons release the clamp so blood can flow into the kidneys and the organ turns pink. And now this, urine, successfully flowing through the kidneys. Dr. Riella 00:21:36 Wow, look at that. We were very surprised. We were hoping that we would start making urine within a day or two, but seeing the urine being produced right away was not what at least I expected to be happening that close. Everything went well. Speaker 11 00:21:53 They said, they put the kidney on the table and started connecting him to the kidney and he actually peed across the room. So they were very, very excited. Of course, I started bawling like a baby. We were all crying. I mean, we were all. oh my goodness, I mean, this is not the end, but we're getting there, we're getting there. Tim Andrews 00:22:19 'I felt great and all of a sudden I had energy and I was like, this is beyond what I thought I was going to get. So right away you felt that coming? Right away I felt that. I was, like, look at me, I'm a new man, it was like a new birth, I said, I have a new birthday, 125-25 is my new birthday. Because I was alive and I hadn't been for a long time and I'm like, this is amazing. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:22:57 But there was still a long way to go. This is still so experimental after all. And Tim and Karen knew how quickly things could change. It was just a year earlier that Lisa Passano also needed a kidney. Her daughter, Brittany Rydell, remembers just how sick her mother was. Brittany Rydell 00:23:17 It means no more dialysis, hopefully. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:23:20 'Like Tim, she was an end-stage kidney disease, but Lisa's heart was also failing. And that is why a traditional kidney transplant was not an option for her. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:23:30 She was too sick. Brittany Rydell 00:23:32 Yeah, absolutely. Robert Montgomery 00:23:34 Lisa Passano was on death's door. I mean, she was not gonna live. You know, days to weeks from dying. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:23:44 So Dr. Montgomery, who was her surgeon, suggested a pig kidney. Robert Montgomery 00:23:48 But there are some people who are willing to take that chance, and she was one of them. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:23:54 'In the spring of 2024, Lisa Pisano became one of the first two patients in the world to receive a gene-edited pig kidney transplant. Brittany Rydell 00:24:02 I got more energy. I feel energized. After her kidney transplant, I have to say she looked the best that she looked in so I've seen her so happy. It was definitely the healthiest I had seen her in a while. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:24:15 She was doing well at that point. Brittany Rydell 00:24:17 Yeah, we were so hopeful, because I had seen her so much better, and I figured if anything was going to go wrong, it would have went wrong at that moment, and not months later. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:24:28 Pesano developed several infections and never recovered enough to leave the hospital. Brittany Rydell 00:24:33 I don't have regrets about the surgery, I just wish that she could have had the opportunity to really enjoy it more. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:24:40 I know it's probably hard to sort of think of it this way, but she was a real pioneer. Brittany Rydell 00:24:45 One of the first things she said to me was even if this doesn't work for me, it can work for someone else. And I think about that a lot. Robert Montgomery 00:24:52 The first patient that we did was in this bed, in the bed that I was in, Lisa Passano. You know, taking care of that one life. And if they were just that, that would be great, but then you have this opportunity to really impact maybe thousands, maybe millions of lives. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:25:11 Now Tim knew Lisa's story. He knew that there was a tremendous amount of uncertainty. Tim Andrews 00:25:17 Stepping forward, you're gonna do something for humanity. This is a way that we can bring this forward. And this is the hope for all these people that it's gonna be okay. We're gonna find a way, which is amazing to me. It was just, I have to be part of this. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:25:40 So would this be a success for Tim, and what does it all mean for the 100,000 people currently waiting? Tim Andrews 00:25:47 There's bumps in the road. Dr. Sanjay Gupta 00:25:48 We'll dive into that when we come back next week with part two of Animal Farm. Thanks for listening.
Health Line
05-06-2025
- Business
- Health Line
Does Medicare Cover a Kidney Transplant?
Key takeaways Medicare covers most services related to organ transplantation performed in approved hospitals, including heart, intestine, kidney, liver, and cornea transplants. Medicare Part A covers inpatient services during hospitalization. Part B covers doctor's services related to the transplant, and Part D helps cover prescription drugs needed for transplantation, including immunosuppressant drugs. Medicare generally covers almost all costs related to Medicare-approved organ transplants, including pre-transplant services, surgery, follow-up care, immunosuppressant drugs, and medical care for the organ donor. In this article, we'll discuss when Medicare covers organ transplants, what you need to know about Medicare coverage, and what out-of-pocket costs you can expect for organ transplantation. Which Medicare part covers a kidney transplant? Medicare Part A is hospital insurance. It covers any necessary services related to the following transplants: heart lung kidney pancreas intestine liver In addition, Medicare also covers other transplants that aren't organ transplants. This includes the following transplants: cornea stem cell bone marrow Under Part A, covered services include most inpatient services during hospitalization, such as laboratory testing, physical exams, room and board, and pre-and post-op care for you and your organ donor. On the other hand, Medicare Part B is medical insurance, which means it covers any doctor's services related to your transplant. Services covered under Part B include those related to your diagnosis and recovery, such as doctor's or specialist's visits, laboratory testing, or certain prescription drugs. Part B will also cover these services for your organ donor when necessary. Part C Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) covers all the services listed above in Part A and Part B. Some Part C plans also cover prescription drugs and possibly additional health perks, like fitness memberships and meal services. Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs) are plans that offer coordinated services for people with chronic or disabling conditions. These plans can be especially beneficial to people who have certain conditions that may require an organ transplant, such as end stage renal disease and chronic heart failure. Part D Medicare Part D helps cover prescription drugs needed for organ transplantation. While Part D coverage varies by plan, all Medicare prescription drug plans must cover immunosuppressant drugs. These medications, which weaken your immune system to make it less likely that your body will reject a new organ, are required for transplantation. Most prescription drug plans also cover other medications that may be necessary for organ transplant recovery, such as pain relievers, antidepressants, and others. When does Medicare cover organ transplants? Once a doctor has determined that a Medicare beneficiary requires a covered organ transplant, the program should cover the procedure. Medicare doesn't set any criteria for covered organ transplants, but exceptions to this are people undergoing intestine or pancreas transplants must have their transplants at a hospital with a Medicare-approved liver and kidney transplant program, respectively. In addition, organ transplant programs generally have eligibility requirements. What these requirements are depends on the type of transplant and may involve limitations on age or people living with certain health conditions. How much does an organ transplant cost with and without Medicare? According to a 2020 research report on transplant costs in the United States, the average costs for organ transplants include: Heart transplant: $1,664,800 Lung transplant: $1,295,900 (double lung) or $929,600 (single lung) Intestine transplant: $1,240,700 Liver transplant: $878,400 Kidney transplant: $442,500 Pancreas transplant: $408,800 Medicare pays for most services and costs associated with Medicare-approved organ transplants. Services include: pretransplant services, such as testing, lab work, and exams surgery follow-up services immunosuppressant and other necessary prescription drugs, in some cases Medicare also pays for all costs related to finding a donated organ and all medical care for the organ donor, such as doctor's visits, surgery, and other necessary medical services. While Medicare covers almost all organ transplantation costs, you'll still owe out-of-pocket costs. Out-of-pocket costs for organ transplant in 2025 Type of cost Medicare Part A Medicare Part B Medicare Part C Medicare Part D Monthly premium $0 to $518, depending on your work history $185, depending on your income depends on the plan you choose depends on the plan you choose Deductible $1,676 per benefit period $257 per year depends on the plan you choose $0 to $590, depending on the plan you choose Copay and coinsurance coinsurance of 0% to 100% per day, depending on how many days you stay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for covered services depends on the plan you choose coinsurance or copays depend on the plan you choose You may have other costs associated with your organ transplant surgery that Medicare doesn't cover. These out-of-pocket costs may include: transportation and lodging for the surgery child care or other expenses at home potential loss of income What if you can't afford a kidney transplant? Your Medicare coverage should significantly lower your out-of-pocket cost for your transplant. In addition, you may be able to lower your remaining out-of-pocket costs by enrolling in a Medicare supplement plan or Medigap. Medigap helps cover Original Medicare deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. Some Medigap plans also cover Part B excess charges and foreign travel costs. That said, you cannot use Medigap with Part C. Your transplant provider may also offer a payment plan so that you can spread the cost over a longer period of time. In addition, if your income falls below a certain threshold, you may also qualify for Medicaid. In addition, the American Transplant Foundation lists several organizations that offer resources on fundraising for a transplant. Are liver transplant patients eligible for Medicare? If you are not eligible for Medicare but anticipate that you require an organ transplant, your eligibility for Medicare depends on either your age or the type of transplant that you need. Anyone ages 65 and over is automatically eligible for Medicare, and by law, no insurance plan can deny you based on a preexisting condition. That said, if you are younger than 65 and you need a transplant, you can only qualify for Medicare if you are living with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and are undergoing dialysis. Other types of needed organ transplants do not count for this exception. Takeaway An organ transplant can be an expensive surgery, but Medicare generally covers beneficiaries for almost all services under their plan. Part A covers most hospital-related services, while Part B covers most medical-related services. Part D can help cover prescription drug costs for immunosuppressants you may need to take before or after the transplant, while Medigap can help tackle some of the out-of-pocket costs associated with each Medicare plan. Contact your doctor or healthcare team for more information on what Medicare will cover for your organ transplant surgery and what to expect. The information on this website may assist you in making personal decisions about insurance, but it is not intended to provide advice regarding the purchase or use of any insurance or insurance products. Healthline Media does not transact the business of insurance in any manner and is not licensed as an insurance company or producer in any U.S. jurisdiction. Healthline Media does not recommend or endorse any third parties that may transact the business of insurance.
Khaleej Times
20-05-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
US surgeons perform world's first bladder transplant
Surgeons at a hospital in Los Angeles, California have successfully performed the world's first human bladder transplant, hospital officials said. The surgery, performed May 4 at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Centre, is a promising development for other patients suffering from serious bladder disorders. The recipient of the innovative procedure was Oscar Larrainzar, 41, a father of four who had a large portion of his bladder removed due to cancer several years ago, the University of California, Los Angeles, said in a statement Sunday. Larrainzar later had both of his kidneys removed due to cancer and end-stage kidney disease and was on dialysis for seven years. He received both a bladder and a kidney from an organ donor and had them successfully transplanted in an eight-hour operation. "The surgeons first transplanted the kidney, followed by the bladder; they then connected the kidney to the new bladder using the technique they had pioneered," the UCLA statement said. Dr. Nima Nassiri, one of the surgeons involved in the historic transplant, said the procedure yielded positive results almost instantaneously. "The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient's kidney function improved immediately," Nassiri said. "There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder." Nassiri and fellow surgeon Inderbir Gill said full bladder transplants had not been performed previously due to the complex vascular structure of the pelvis, making it a technically difficult procedure. "This first attempt at bladder transplantation has been over four years in the making," Nassiri said. Previously, patients in need of bladder reconstruction could have one artificially created using a part of the intestines or have a stoma bag inserted to collect urine. Those techniques had several short-term and long-term risks that doctors hope will be circumvented with the full bladder transplant, Nassiri said.
The Sun
19-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
World's first bladder transplant marks ‘historic moment' as man, 41, able to pee again for first time in 7 years
SURGEONS have performed the first-ever human bladder transplant - a game-changing procedure with the potential to help thousands living with deadly organ failure. The first person to undergo the operation is 41-year-old Oscar Larrainzar, a father of four who had previously lost most of his bladder during a tumour removal process. 3 The remainder of his bladder was too small to work and both his kidneys were subsequently removed due to cancer and end-stage kidney disease. He'd been on dialysis for seven years. The complex procedure carried out by surgeons from UCLA Health and Keck Medicine of USC involved the transplantation of both a new bladder and a new kidney, recovered from a donor, and lasted approximately eight hours long. UCLA urologic transplant surgeon Dr Nima Nassiri and Dr Inderbir Gill, assisted by a surgical team, said the results were quickly evident. 'The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient's kidney function improved immediately,' Nassiri said. 'There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.' 'Despite the complexity of the case,' Gill said, 'everything went according to plan and the surgery was successful. "The patient is doing well, and we are satisfied with his clinical progress to date.' It's not known how well the transplanted bladder will function over time and how much immunosuppression will be needed to prevent rejection of the transplanted organs. But to date, Larrainzer has been stable. I haven't peed in SIX YEARS and never will again - I live in constant agony and it could kill me 'This surgery is a historic moment in medicine and stands to impact how we manage carefully selected patients with highly symptomatic 'terminal' bladders that are no longer functioning,' said Gill, who is also a distinguished professor and chair of urology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. 'Transplantation is a lifesaving and life-enhancing treatment option for many conditions affecting major organs, and now the bladder can be added to the list.' Bladder transplants haven't been carried out previously because of the complicated vascular structure of the pelvic area and the technical complexity of the procedure. Current treatments include the replacement or augmentation of the urinary reservoir - a procedure that uses part of a patient's intestine to create a "new" bladder or a pathway for urine to exit the body. While these surgeries can be effective, they come with many short-and long-term risks that compromise a patient's health, such as internal bleeding, bacterial infection and digestive issues. 'A bladder transplant, on the other hand,' Nassiri said, 'results in a more normal urinary reservoir and may circumvent some short- and long-term issues associated with using the intestine.' Organ transplants currently available Organ transplants, which replace failing or damaged organs with healthy ones from donors, are now available for a variety of organs. They've become possible due to advancements in surgery, medicine (including immunosuppressant drugs), and a better understanding of the donor process. Available organs include: Kidneys: The most commonly transplanted organ, helping patients with end-stage kidney disease. Liver: Treats various liver diseases, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Heart: Addresses heart failure and other heart conditions. Lungs: Treats conditions like cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and other lung diseases. Pancreas: Transplants are used to treat diabetes and some pancreatic cancers. Intestine: Transplants are performed for patients with severe gastrointestinal disorders. 3
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
World's first bladder transplant hailed as 'groundbreaking moment in medical history' - op gives hope to cancer patients
Surgeons in the US have performed a 'miracle' bladder transplant for the first time — giving hope to thousands of patients living with deadly organ failure. The first ever patient to undergo the groundbreaking operation is Oscar Larrainzar, a 41 year-old from Los Angeles with a rare form of cancer who lost nearly all function of his bladder. Now, following the successful procedure, he is not only able to use the toilet independently again, but doctors said the surgery also saved his life. Doctors have hailed the procedure a 'groundbreaking moment in medical history' and 'the realisation of a dream'. Dr Inderbir Gill, the urologist who performed the transplant, said: 'There is no question: A potential door has been opened for these people that did not exist earlier. 'Transplantation is a lifesaving and life-enhancing treatment option for many conditions affecting major organs, and now the bladder can be added to the list,' he told the New York Times. Following treatment for tracheal adenocarcinoma, a rare type of bladder cancer, and a surgery to remove the tumour four years ago, Mr Larrainzar had 'been left without much of a bladder at all.' A normal bladder can hold more than 300 cubic centimeters of fluid. But Mr Larrainzar's could hold 30, according to his medical team. The patient had also been dialysis-dependent for seven years after both of his kidneys were subsequently removed as part of his cancer treatment. To address these deficits doctors performed a combined kidney and bladder transplant, allowing the patient to immediately stop dialysis and produce urine for the first time in seven years. First the kidney, then the bladder, were transplanted. The new kidney was then connected to the new bladder. The entire procedure took approximately eight hours. 'The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient's kidney function improved immediately,' Dr Nassiri, who was part of the team of surgeons who performed the procedure, added. 'There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.' 'Despite the complexity of the case, everything went according to plan and the surgery was successful,' said Dr Gill, who is chairman of the urology department at University of Southern California. 'The patient is doing well, and we are satisfied with his clinical progress to date.' 'Of course, this is very, very early. Let's see how everything goes,' Dr Gill cautioned. 'But it's the first time he has been able to pee in seven years. For all of us, this is huge.' Typically, rather than a transplant, patients with a failing bladder are fitted with what's known as a neobladder—a bag that collects the urine outside the body. Some patients will have their intestine repurposed by surgeons to enable the organ to pass urine. Experts say that patients suffer complications up to 80 per cent of the time when the intestine is used to replace the bladder, which Mr Larrainzar had been living with for four years. They say it can lead to digestive issues, kidney failure and cause deadly bacteria to spread in the body. 'While these surgeries can be effective, they come with many short-and long-term risks that compromise a patient's health such as recurrent infections, compromised kidney function and digestive issues,' said Dr Gill. 'A bladder transplant, on the other hand, delivers a more 'normal' urinary reservoir and may circumvent some of the challenges associated with using the intestine,' said Dr Nassiri. The doctors plan to perform bladder transplants in four more patients as part of a clinical trial to get a sense of outcomes like bladder capacity before pursuing a larger trial to expand its use. The biggest risks of organ transplant are the body's potential rejection of the organ and side-effects caused by the immunosuppressive drugs given to prevent organ rejection. Dr Gill added that the best current candidates are those who've coped with an organ transplant previously, or those who need a combined kidney and bladder transplant.
