Penn Vet Hospital Celebrates Transplant Milestone

October 9, 2007 (WPVI) -- The transplant program at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary Hospital has reached a surgical milestone.

"Today was our 100th transplant in a cat. We did our first case in 1998," said Dr. Lillian Aronson, assistant professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania's Feline Renal Transplant Program, which has been providing cats with new kidneys for nearly a decade.

"We see animals in all stages of renal failure," she said.

Just as humans develop age-related health problems, so do our pets. Renal failure is a disease seen quite often in felines.

"It's probably one of the leading causes of death in cats," she explained.

Sick animals come from all over the United States. Maryanne Dubbs is from Maryland. As an animal rescuer, she found Gordy on the streets of Baltimore.

"We discovered his kidney problem before he was neutered as a kitten," said Dubbs.

Gordy is now eight. He has been sick most of his life. His disease was managed with medication. Maryanne took him to Penn this summer. After several months of more medical management, his condition worsened.

"Just a few weeks ago he started to deteriorate. He was becoming more anemic. His kidney alues were getting worse. He was losing weight, consistently," said Aronson.

Gordy was accepted for transplant surgery, but with a catch. You see with Penn's feline transplant program the cat that donates the kidney must go home with the recipient.

"She called and told me I had two possibilities. One was an orange tabby. One was black. I said we'll cheerfully take the black cat," said Dubbs.

The choice meant Jack, a research cat, would be spared.

"Hopefully we're saving two cats lives versus just the one," said Aronson.

The transplant operation lasts from four to six hours. It involves two surgical teams operating on both cats simultaneously.

After the kidney is removed from Jack, it must be transplanted into Gordy's lower abdomen next to the bladder in less than an hour to minimize its time without a blood supply.

It is painstaking work, requiring an operating microscope to magnify his tiny veins and arteries. This 100th operation was another success! "Probably close to 95 percent of our cats have left the hospital. About 70 percent are alive and doing well at a year out," Aronson explained.

Like humans, the feline transplant recipient will have to be on anti-rejection medication for the rest of its life. The donor will do just fine living with one kidney.

The renal transplant operation is expensive, about $8800.

If you're wondering why the program focuses on cats, vets say it is for reasons relating to dogs' immune systems and the greater expense of medicating a larger animal on a daily basis.

To learn more about Penn's Veterinary program, please visit http://www.vet.upenn.edu/ (Copyright 2007 by Action News and 6abc. All Rights Reserved.)

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