Hunter Boyce | (TNS) The Atlanta Journal-Constitution When John Nicolas went under the knife for his kidney transplant last month, the Chicago native was fully awake and aware. The 28-year-old participated in a major first for the Illinois hospital. “Inside the operating room, it was an incredible experience being able to show a patient what their new kidney looked like before placing it inside the body,” Dr.
Satish Nadig, director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, said in a news release . Rather than using general anesthesia, the transplant surgeon and his team used a specialized spinal shot that allowed Nicolas to painlessly and safely remain cognizant for his procedure. It’s a new operation designed to aid patients who face serious health risks when placed under general anesthesia.
A success, Nicolas was discharged less than 24 hours after the operation. “It was a pretty cool experience to know what was happening in real time and be aware of the magnitude of what they were doing,” Nicholas said in a news release. “At one point during surgery, I recall asking, ‘should I be expecting the spinal anesthesia to kick in?’ They had already been doing a lot of work and I had been completely oblivious to that fact.
Truly, no sensation whatsoever. I had been given some sedation for my own comfort, but I was still aware of what they were doing. Especially when they called out my name and told me about certain milestones they had reached.
”.
