When John Nicolas went under the knife for his kidney transplant last month, the Chicago native was wide awake and conscious. The 28-year-old was a serious first for the Illinois hospital.
“In the operating room, it was an incredible experience to show a patient what their new kidney looks like before it is placed in their body,” said Dr. Satish Nadig, director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center. in a press release.
Instead of general anesthesia, the transplant surgeon and his team used a special spinal injection that allowed Nicolas to stay pain-free and safely conscious in the course of the procedure. It is a brand new operation designed to assist patients who face serious health risks when undergoing general anesthesia.
A hit! Nicolas was discharged lower than 24 hours after the operation.
“It was a pretty cool experience to know what was happening in real time and to be aware of the magnitude of their work,” Nicholas said in a press release. “I remember wondering at some point during the surgery, 'Should I expect spinal anesthesia to kick in?' They had already done a lot of work and I hadn't been aware of it at all. Really, I hadn't felt anything at all. I had been given a sedative for my own comfort, but I was still aware of what they were doing. Especially when they called my name and told me about certain milestones they had reached.”
Now, Northwestern Medicine is establishing a brand new program, AWAKE, which stands for expedited surgery without general anesthesia for kidney transplants, for patients like Nicholas. Through this system, the hospital hopes to supply this latest procedure to anyone who has significant anesthesia phobias, health risks or special circumstances that make it impractical.
“It really opens up new doors and is another tool in our toolbox for the field of transplantation,” Nadig said.
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