Kidney transplantIn 1954, the first successful kidney transplant was carried out between identical twins by surgeons at Peter Bent Hospital, Boston, Mass. The kidney was donated to Richard Herrick, 23, by his identical twin, Ronald. The operation was led by Dr. John P. Merrill who had previously completed a series of nine kidney transplants, only to find they failed. He suspected they were rejected by the recipients' immune system. The identical twins presented an opportunity to test the hypothesis. Merill's team carried out an exchange of skin grafts between Richard and his twin brother. Finding the grafts were successful, the way was clear to carry out the kidney transplant. This time the surgery was successful, and Richard lived until 1962.[Image: Richard Herrick (right) and Ronald ten months after their surgery] |
