Kidney of a 9-Month-Old Baby Saves a 4-Year-Old Boy

Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) in Haifa, Israel, recently achieved a remarkable medical milestone: the kidney of a 9-month-old baby, who tragically passed away, was successfully transplanted to save the life of a 4-year-old boy.

Dr. Ran Steinberg. Photography: Rambam HCC.

A severe head injury had left a 9-and-a-half-old baby from Northern Israel brain dead. Despite their immense grief, the parents made the courageous decision to donate his organs. In a complex surgery, doctors successfully harvested the baby’s kidneys, which were compatible with another child whose life hung in the balance. Dr. Ran Steinberg, director of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Ruth Rappaport Children's Hospital at Rambam, led the intricate kidney transplantation procedure.

The procedure, which is rare and typically performed at major medical centers worldwide, presented significant technical challenges. “Connecting the blood vessels of a 9-month-old baby, which are nearly transparent, is incredibly intricate. Additionally, we had to arrange the two kidneys within the recipient's body to ensure they functioned equally and simultaneously,” Dr. Steinberg added.

Hence, although the surgery was performed some months ago, the hospital delayed announcing the procedure’s success until they were certain the recipient’s kidneys were functioning well without complications.

Dr. Steinberg explained, “The physical size of a 9-month-old baby's kidneys is about the size of a fava bean. Before proceeding with the transplant, we had to ensure the kidneys' general function, the size of the blood vessels, and their suitability for the recipient, who was three years older.” This requires the transplanted kidneys to handle larger volumes of work immediately after the transplant.

The complex surgical procedure involved a multidisciplinary team, including specialists in pediatric surgery, organ transplantation, vascular surgery, nephrology, intensive care, anesthesia, and radiology.

Dr. Steinberg concluded, “On the operating table, we saw the new kidneys functioning superbly. Now, three months post-operation, I am pleased to report that both kidneys are functioning beautifully and normally. We are very satisfied with the outcome.”