His kidney is '100 years old': a gift from his mother that has been working for 48 years

Raymond Vatuski of Webster, New York, received a kidney from his mother Betty in 1978. Nearly 48 years later, the organ is still functioning. Betty passed away in 2008, but doctors believe the kidney will last Raymond for the rest of his life. This is a story of a rare case of long-term transplant survival.

Raymond Vatuski of Webster, New York, received a kidney from his mother Betty at the age of 16. The transplant took place on March 2, 1978, at Strong Memorial Hospital. Nearly 48 years later, the kidney continues to function. Betty Vatuski passed away in 2008; had she lived, she would have turned 100 in June. Thus, the transplanted kidney has been functioning for 100 years — first in the mother's body, then in her son's. Raymond, who turns 65 this month, is considered the longest-living kidney transplant patient at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Doctors believe the organ could last him for the rest of his life. The article also includes a comment from Israeli surgeon Dr. Esther Ovdat on factors for transplant success and organ donation in Israel.