From Deseret News archives:
Doctors do first 5-way kidney transplant
All five recipients three men and two women were doing fine, as were the five organ donors, all women, said Eric Vohr, a spokesman at the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center. The 10 participants came from Canada, Maine, Maryland, West Virginia, Florida and California.
Several triple transplants have been done at Johns Hopkins, but hospital officials said the five simultaneous transplants performed last Tuesday were a first.
Four of the sick patients had approached Johns Hopkins with a relative who was willing to donate a kidney but was an incompatible donor. The fifth patient had been on a waiting list for a kidney from a dead person.
Together, those nine people and an "altruistic donor" someone willing to give a kidney to anyone who needed it had enough matched kidneys among them to pull off a complex, five-way swap.
Once the swap was agreed to, the transplants were done all at the same time to prevent anyone from backing out later or in case someone fell ill.
Sheila Thornton, 63, of Edgewood, said she felt "just joy, joy, it's almost inexplicable," after she learned she would receive a kidney from Sandra Loevner, 63, of Sarasota, Fla., whom she had never met.
"That really hit home," Thornton said of receiving a lifesaving gift from a stranger. "How do you thank somebody?"
The altruistic donor, Honore Rothstein of Martinsburg, W.Va., decided to donate a kidney after losing her husband to a brain hemorrhage and her daughter to an overdose. She did not know any of the donors or recipients.
"I'm thrilled I'm giving to somebody," Rothstein said, sitting next to Kristine Jantzi, 40, of Bangor, Maine, who received her kidney. "Her mom couldn't give to her, and I couldn't save my daughter."
The operations involved six operating rooms, 12 surgeons, 11 anesthesiologists, and 18 nurses, and took place over 10 hours. The removal of the donor organs began at 7:15 a.m. and was completed by 11 a.m. The kidneys were implanted in operations that began at 1 p.m. and were finished at 5:15 p.m.
Comments
- Woman describes stabbing, killing 2:05 p.m.
- Stocks retreat on reports 1:45 p.m.
- Bills consider Shanahan for coach 1:42 p.m.
- Mitchell's attorneys file to withdraw 1:29 p.m.
- King Kong figurine sold in UK 1:01 p.m.
- Turkey tips from experts 12:59 p.m.
- 6.8-magnitude quake rattles Tonga 12:57 p.m.
- Police increase presence at Skyline 12:40 p.m.
- Shuttle, crews ready departure 12:37 p.m.
- CPSC: Swift action after crib recall 12:36 p.m.
- Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
- Utah, BYU are top choices for bowls
- BYU's Lamb, Jorgensen reprimanded
- BYU would like friendlier rivalry
- Best prep football games of 2009
- KSL: Prostitution in Utah County
- Man trapped in own body for 23 yrs
- Kirilenko climbing blocks list
- 'Dancing' will fill out finale
- Boys basketball rankings
- Glenn Beck to enter politics?
220 - RSL wins MLS Cup on penalty kicks
202 - Palin plans tour stop in Utah
178 - BYU would like friendlier rivalry
158 - Protests against Phoenix LDS temple
154 - Bronco, Kyle rubber match
136 - Palin's book shows she's unqualified
134 - BYU records with win
132 - Officer cleared in Cardall Taser case
103 - BYU cuts Women's Research Inst.
103
Having visited Africa, the average person in Africa is much more religious...
Disagree with a gay and be careful - you'll be asking for a lawsuit for a...
DEEP FRY! I have not eaten an oven roasted turkey in 7 years, and after a...
good luck to them. It's going to be tough with all those games on the road....
this is siow
Where is JDBooks from South Sevier boasting about his SS Rams. In basketball...
Did BO resign or didn't he? He did. So did Leavitt and Huntsman. You...
1A Watch out because Wasatch Academy & Liahona should be concidered a threat....
Who needs help with math? Last years Sugar bowl payoff was about 17 mill. per...
You'd think any article that promotes 'hate' (but denying marriage is...




You can be the first to comment on this story.