Methodist Dallas Medical Center pulls off rare "domino transplant"
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Six operating room teams worked from 7am to 8pm to pull off the domino transplant. Photos: Courtesy of Methodist Dallas.
Methodist Dallas Medical Center last week pulled off a rare "domino transplant" involving multiple people who donated their kidneys to strangers after their loved ones also received a kidney on the same day.
Why it matters: The endeavor, which included three donors and three recipients, was the first such procedure for the almost 100-year-old hospital. Doctors say it will help the patients live better lives.
How it works: Last week's transplants took place on the same day, requiring four surgeons, over 13 hours of surgery and extensive lab work to ensure the donors would be good matches for each other.
- "Everything has to come together at the right time. We have to make sure all six people are healthy — the surgeries need to happen the same day, one after the other," Methodist Dallas transplant nephrologist Amna Ilahe said in a statement.
Zoom in: Burleson resident Roxanne Graham donated her kidney to Denton County lawyer Reggie Johnson, who has struggled with kidney disease for almost half of his life.
- His wife, Anyiesa Johnson, was not a matching donor for him — instead, she donated a kidney to 38-year-old Irving resident Jerel Reyes.
- Reyes' wife, Linh Tran, also was not a match for her husband and donated a kidney to 36-year-old Dallas resident Elam Miramontes.
The intrigue: Graham's donation helped relieve her pain from "nutcracker syndrome," a rare vascular condition.
- "Really, it's a win-win. Everything works out the way it's supposed to," she said when meeting her fellow patients after the procedure.
Fun fact: Hospital staff gave each person a set of dominoes to remind them of their transplant.
The bottom line: "Being a donor is the most selfless act. I'm hopeful that this story helps people have the confidence and the courage to be donors and save a life," Reggie Johnson says.