In Surgical First, Doctors Successfully Transplant Human Bladder At UCLA Medical Center

LOS ANGELES — For seven years, one man’s life was tethered to a dialysis machine. With most of his bladder removed due to cancer and both kidneys gone, his body could no longer perform one of its most basic functions—making and expelling urine. But on May 4, 2025, his life changed forever when surgeons gave him something no human had ever received before: a transplanted bladder.

In an eight-hour procedure at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, surgeons from UCLA Health and Keck Medicine of USC performed the world’s first-ever human bladder transplant, marking a watershed moment in transplantation medicine that could eventually help millions suffering from severe bladder conditions.

Historic Organ Transplantation

“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,” says one of the transplant surgeons, Dr. Inderbir Gill from the University of Southern California, in a statement.

For the patient, who had been dialysis-dependent for seven years after losing most of his bladder during cancer surgery and later having both kidneys removed due to renal cancer, the procedure offered a chance at a more normal life. Surgeons transplanted both a new kidney and bladder, connecting them to restore the body’s natural urinary system.

“The kidney immediately made a large volume of urine, and the patient’s kidney function improved immediately,” says transplant surgeon Dr. Nima Nassiri from the University of California, Los Angeles. “There was no need for any dialysis after surgery, and the urine drained properly into the new bladder.”

Bladder transplants were long considered technically impossible due to the complicated vascular structure of the pelvic area and the complexity of the procedure itself. For years, doctors have transplanted kidneys, hearts, lungs, and even faces, but the bladder remained an unconquered frontier.

This didn’t happen overnight. The surgical team spent over four years developing the technique, designing clinical trials, and securing regulatory approvals. They performed numerous practice surgeries at Keck Medical Center of USC, including the first-ever robotic bladder retrievals and successful robotic transplantations in five recently deceased donors with cardiac function maintained on ventilator support.

Transforming Treatment for Millions

Millions of people worldwide suffer from some degree of bladder disease and dysfunction. For those with severely compromised or “terminal” bladders, current treatments typically involve creating a replacement bladder using portions of the patient’s intestine.

“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,” explains Dr. Gill.

As with any organ transplant, the body’s potential rejection of the organ and side effects from immunosuppressive medications remain significant concerns. Because of these risks, the doctors believe the best candidates for bladder transplants are those already taking anti-rejection drugs.

Four Years of Research Leads to Success

The path to this achievement began years ago when Dr. Nassiri, formerly a urology resident at the Keck School and now assistant professor at UCLA, and Dr. Gill worked together to develop the new surgical technique. They designed a clinical trial and secured the necessary regulatory approvals after conducting numerous pre-clinical procedures at both Keck Medical Center of USC and OneLegacy, Southern California’s organ procurement organization.

“Despite the complexity of the case, everything went according to plan and the surgery was successful,” says Dr. Gill. “The patient is doing well, and we are satisfied with his clinical progress to date.”

The successful surgery resulted from a collaboration between two major California medical institutions. Under Dr. Gill’s leadership, USC Urology has established itself as a pioneer in advanced robotic urologic cancer surgeries, while UCLA Urology has long been at the frontier of urologic transplantation research.

“Bladder transplantation has been Dr. Nassiri’s principal academic focus since we recruited him to the UCLA faculty several years ago,” says Dr. Mark Litwin, UCLA Urology Chair. “It is incredibly gratifying to see him take this work from the laboratory to human patients at UCLA, which operates the busiest and most successful solid-organ transplant program in the western United States.”

The bladder transplant was done as part of a UCLA clinical trial. Dr. Gill and Dr. Nassiri hope to perform more bladder transplants together in the near future, potentially helping countless patients with severely compromised bladders lead healthier lives.