Lifesaving teamwork by Houston VA transplant team

In early October, a highly-skilled transplant team at Michael E. DeBakey VA in Houston faced an incredible and unexpected challenge. The team, made up of top surgeons, transplant physicians, anesthesiologists, nurses and technical professionals was called upon to perform a heart transplant, a multi-organ kidney/liver transplant, two kidney transplants, and two liver transplants … all in four days.  

As a result of teamwork and a shared commitment to caring for those who have served, six Veterans’ lives were changed forever.

“The stars were truly aligned when so many donor organs became available and all the Veterans were cleared for transplants,” said Dr. Venkat Ramanathan, chief of Houston VA’s Transplant Program. “As the organs became available one by one, our incredible team immediately jumped at the chance to take on this challenge.”

Having performed more than 359 surgeries since Houston VA began doing transplants in 2008, the medical center’s transplant teams have changed the lives of hundreds of Veterans and their families.

“Performing six transplants in just a few days was truly a labor of love.”

“Many of our Veteran patients have complicated medical conditions directly related to their military service,” said Dr. Ronald Cotton, surgical director of Houston VA’s Liver and Kidney Transplant Program and associate professor of surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. “Through our transplant program, we are able to do right by these Veterans and give them a chance at more fulfilling and longer lives. Performing six transplants in just a few days was truly a labor of love for our team at Houston VA.”

Melchor Francisco and Adonis Abella, experienced scrub nurses, were thrilled to participate in some of the transplant surgeries.  

“I was on-call over the weekend and was really excited to hear that we may be able to perform back-to-back transplants,” Francisco said. “The most rewarding part of my job is knowing I get to contribute to saving the lives of Veterans. We treat heroes here.”

Scrub nurses assist surgeons by prepping and passing tools and medical equipment to the surgeon and monitoring the patients’ conditions during surgery. They are prepared to switch to lifesaving procedures at a moment’s notice, making their jobs challenging and sometimes quite stressful. According to Abella, the fast-paced and high-pressure nature of the operating room has created a special camaraderie among the members of the Houston VA transplant team, allowing them to work together for the good of the Veterans.  

“An honor to care for Veterans and see their strength and bravery up close.”

“When we got into the operating room for the first surgery, we knew it was going to be a long day,” Abella said. “Depending on the case, each of these surgeries can go on for up to 10 hours. We all supported each other to keep our focus on the Veteran and get the job done.”

Although all six transplant surgeries went well, the Houston VA transplant team’s job is far from done. They will follow each of the six Veterans closely, celebrate their recovery milestones and be there with them and their families every step of the way.

“At VA, we are often able to enfranchise patients who may not be candidates to receive an organ in other community programs,” Cotton said. “It’s truly an honor to care for Veterans and see their strength and bravery up close.”