Man Undergoes First Awake Kidney Transplant at Northwestern Medicine

Chicago, Illinois United States of America
28-year-old John Nicholas underwent the first awake kidney transplant at Northwestern Medicine on May 24, 2024.
Benefits of this method include reduced hospital stays and decreased risks associated with general anesthesia. The AWAKE Program is now being established at Northwestern Medicine for similar operations.
Nicholas had been managing kidney issues since his teenage years due to Crohn's disease. His childhood friend, Pat Wise, donated a kidney after being identified as a match.
Nicholas' mother had initially planned to donate her kidney but was unable due to breast cancer diagnosis.
The surgery took less than two hours using single-spinal anesthesia and allowed Nicholas to remain awake throughout the procedure with no pain or sensation.
Man Undergoes First Awake Kidney Transplant at Northwestern Medicine

Man Undergoes Rare Awake Kidney Transplant

A 28-year-old man from Chicago, John Nicholas, made medical history by undergoing a kidney transplant while awake at Northwestern Medicine on May 24, 2024. The procedure marked the first of its kind for the Chicago-based healthcare system.

Nicholas had been managing kidney issues since he was a teenager due to Crohn's disease. When his condition worsened in early 2024, it became clear that he would need a transplant. His childhood friend, Pat Wise, stepped up as a donor after being identified as a match.

The surgery took less than two hours and was performed using single-spinal anesthesia instead of the traditional general anesthesia. This approach allowed Nicholas to remain awake throughout the procedure and feel no pain. The benefits of this method include reduced hospital stays, decreased risks associated with general anesthesia, and increased accessibility for high-risk patients.

Nicholas was discharged from the hospital the next day, a significant improvement over the typical 2-3 day stay following a kidney transplant. He expressed excitement about being aware of every milestone reached during the procedure and feeling no pain or sensation whatsoever.

The AWAKE Program (Accelerated Surgery Without General Anesthesia in Kidney Transplantation) is now being established at Northwestern Medicine to offer similar operations for other patients who wish to undergo awake kidney transplants.

Nicholas's mother had initially planned to donate her kidney, but she was diagnosed with breast cancer and unable to proceed. Nicholas shared the news of his need for a donor with his childhood friends, one of whom stepped up as a match.

The success of this procedure marks an important milestone in the field of transplantation and opens up new possibilities for patients who may have previously been hesitant due to fears or risks associated with general anesthesia.


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Surgeons perform kidney transplant with patient awake during procedure

CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Sara Moniuszko Tuesday, 25 June 2024 01:55
  • Unique Points
    • Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine performed the first awake kidney transplant in Chicago.
    • John Nicholas was the patient who received the kidney transplant while awake on May 24.
    • The patient, John Nicholas, felt no pain during the procedure and was discharged the next day.
    • Instead of normal general anesthesia, doctors used a single-spinal anesthesia shot for the procedure.
    • John Nicholas required ‘zero opioid narcotic pain medication’, which the doctor described as great.
    • The other benefit of the awake kidney transplant was that the patient could be discharged home in less than 24 hours, making it an outpatient procedure.
    • Awake kidney transplantation may offer increased accessibility for those at higher risk to undergo general anesthesia.
    • John Nicholas had kidney issues since he was 16 and began managing his condition with medication. In early 2022, declining kidney function made it clear he would need a transplant.
    • His childhood best friend, Pat Wise, donated a kidney after being declared a match.
    • Northwestern Medicine is now looking to establish the AWAKE Program (Accelerated Surgery Without General Anesthesia in Kidney Transplantation) for other patients who want a similar operation.
  • Accuracy
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  • Fallacies (100%)
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  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

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The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Chicago Man, 28, Undergoes Kidney Transplant While Awake, Sees New Organ Before Doctors Perform Surgery

People Magazine Tuesday, 25 June 2024 01:55
  • Unique Points
    • John Nicholas underwent a kidney transplant while awake at Northwestern Medicine
    • Best friend Pat Wise donated his kidney to Nicholas after he sent a message asking for help in finding donors
    • Nicholas could see the organ (kidney) in his doctor's hand during surgery
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
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  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
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The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

There's been a breakthrough in organ transplants

National Public Radio (NPR) Monday, 24 June 2024 00:00
  • Unique Points
    • Surgeons at Northwestern Medicine successfully transplanted a kidney while the patient was awake.
    • John Nicholas had an overnight stay and was discharged the next day with a functioning kidney.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
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    None Found At Time Of Publication

100%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Northwestern Medicine performs its 1st awake kidney transplant procedure in under 2 hours

ABC7 Chicago Monday, 24 June 2024 19:28
  • Unique Points
    • John Nicholas was the first patient at Northwestern Medicine to receive an awake kidney transplant.
    • Nicholas' childhood friend, Pat Wise, donated one of his kidneys for the transplant after being identified as a match.
    • The procedure took under two hours and involved anesthesia similar to that used in cesarean sections.
    • Awake kidney transplants can help patients with risks or phobias of general anesthesia, shorten hospital stays, and improve patient experience by allowing them to recover at home.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

U.S. doctors perform kidney transplant on awake patient in milestone

Global News Canada Saba Aziz Tuesday, 25 June 2024 01:59
  • Unique Points
    • John Nicholas underwent an awake kidney transplant last month at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
    • Nicholas' childhood friend, Patrick Wise, was the live donor.
    • Doctors used a spinal epidural shot instead of general anesthesia during the procedure.
    • Nicholas heard surgeons interacting with him throughout the surgery and picked The Killers as music to listen to.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No formal fallacies found. There are some informal fallacies in the form of anecdotal evidence and appeals to authority. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the procedure as 'milestone' and 'paradigm-shifting'. The patient's recovery going 'extremely well' is a dichotomous depiction.
    • . . . seeing his friend’s kidney before they put it in was “pretty amazing.”
    • The doctors even asked what kind of music he would like to listen to during the procedure.
    • This is not the first awake kidney transplant that has been performed in the U.S.
    • Satish Nadig, chief of transplant surgery at Northwestern Medicine, who performed the operation said Nicholas did not require any opioid narcotic pain medication and was able to go home within 24 hours of the procedure with a functioning kidney.
    • One month since the transplant, Nicholas said his recovery “has gone extremely well.”
  • Bias (100%)
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