Brothers Receive Transplants 31 Years Apart from Surgeons with Same Last Name
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 15, 2015) – An Oklahoma City man is recovering nicely after recently undergoing an historic operation at the INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute at INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center. William Alexander was the first patient to receive a combined heart and kidney transplant in the state of Oklahoma.
But that’s just the beginning of the story. What makes this milestone that much more remarkable is a serendipitous connection between two Oklahoma families.
William’s younger brother, LaTerron, was born without kidneys in 1970. His prognosis was grim. Doctors gave him only six months to live. He proved them wrong, but by age nine he was in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Dialysis kept him alive until he finally received that lifesaving operation in 1984. LaTerron was 14 years old. The surgeon was Scott Samara, M.D.
Fast forward 31 years to 2015; now William is the one in need of a transplant for survival. His surgeon’s name is also Samara. Only this time, it is Shea Samara, M.D., in the operating room. Shea is Scott Samara’s son.
“My mom remembered the name Samara from my brother’s surgery all those years ago and we put two and two together,” says William Alexander. “We thought, what are the chances that our family would be blessed not once but twice by the Samaras. First the father, then the son. We think it is more divine intervention than mere coincidence.”
The Samaras agree. “Children transplants are the toughest to handle mentally,” says Scott Samara. “Those are the surgeries you ask God for a little more help with.” The senior Samara is glad he was able to extend LaTerron’s life. He defied the odds and lived to be 35 years old. He died in 2006.
The junior Samara is thankful for the opportunity to follow in his father’s footsteps. “To be able to once again prolong life for this family is just as much of a gift to my father and me, as it is for the Alexanders.”
A combined heart and kidney transplant is not a common procedure. Data from UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) shows there were only a total of 104 combined heart and kidney transplants performed in the nation last year in comparison to 558 combined liver and kidney transplants and 17,106 isolated kidney transplants.
The INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi transplant team anticipates there will be a growing need for combined heart and kidney transplants as many patients who suffer from long-term heart failure also have significant renal disease. The two problems often co-exist because a weakened heart cannot pump blood sufficiently to the kidneys or because the kidneys have been damaged by other cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.
Such was the case with William. In addition to congestive heart failure, diabetes had attacked his kidney. He was actually scheduled to receive a heart pump known as a left ventricular assist device or LVAD the very next day, when he got the call saying doctors had found a perfect match. He would be receiving a heart and a kidney from the same donor. A medical first for Oklahoma. The surgery took place on April 15, 2015.
“Advanced renal disease in the presence of severe heart failure has traditionally been a reason to exclude heart failure patients from a heart transplant. Patients with these combined conditions have faced insurmountable odds, as the rigors of combining two major operations in one setting can be too great a burden on them” says James H. Neel, M.D., William’s cardiac transplant surgeon. “With simultaneous heart and kidney transplantation, we are now able to offer these high-risk patients a reason for hope.”
Even at a medical center that routinely handles complex cases requiring multi-disciplinary care, William’s case necessitated a remarkable amount of highly specialized expertise, bringing together experts from several different medical specialties: surgeons and hematologists, as well as renal and cardiovascular disease specialists.
“This is an exciting milestone for our transplant program,” says David Nelson, M.D., William’s transplant physician. “This is a vital treatment option for patients in Oklahoma who have advanced heart failure and renal disease.”
William calls his brother his ‘inspiration’ and believes he somehow played a role in saving his life. “Things don’t just fall into place this perfectly or this easily. I know LaTerron is up there pulling some strings for me to make all of this happen.” William just celebrated his 50th birthday June 11. The Alexanders believe it was yet another gift − from beyond.
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