A sixth kidney transplant was performed in the same 46-year-old patient. This exceptional operation, carried out for the first time in France, and one of the first times in the world, took place on January 31, 2015. It is now crowned with success.
This 46-year-old patient who suffers from a rare genetic disease, atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (atypical HUS), which destroys the kidneys, has been treated since her 5 years by the Necker-Enfants Malades hospital.
“This patient has alternated periods of dialysis and kidney transplantation throughout her life as a child and as an adult. Some of his kidney transplants were lost very quickly by a recurrence of his disease ”explains the AP-HP (public assistance-hospitals of Paris) in a press release.
The kidney transplant, performed by Prof. Arnaud Mejean, lasted five hours and was made particularly complex by the many previous interventions and vascular difficulties. Four months after the transplant, kidney function is strictly normal.
This medical feat was made possible by a new drug, eculizumab. This new treatment is able to block the destructive consequences of the disease on small vessels, kidneys and transplants. Thanks to him, in addition to immunosuppressants against transplant rejection, the patient’s renal function is now normal.
“The early administration of eculizumab, in addition to the immunosuppressive treatment, resulted in favorable outcomes, without any sign of relapse of HUS. A little more than four months after the transplant, the renal function is strictly normal ”explains the AP-HP.
This new operation confirms the competence of AP-HP for kidney transplantation. Indeed, for more than 60 years, the AP-HP teams have played a pioneering role in the world. “By performing 627 kidney transplants in 2014, 130 of which were from living donors (21%), AP-HP stands out as one of the world’s leading centers for the number of transplants performed” recalls AP-HP.
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