Richard C. Lillehei

Richard C. Lillehei (10 December 1927 - 1 April 1981) was an American transplant surgeon best remembered for the world's first successful simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant in 1966 (sometimes quoted as 1967) and the first known human intestinal transplantation.

Richard C. Lillehei
Born(1927-12-10)December 10, 1927
Minneapolis MN
DiedApril 1, 1981(1981-04-01) (aged 53)
EducationUniversity of Minnesota
Known forSimultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant
Medical career
ProfessionSurgeon
Sub-specialtiesOrgan transplantation
Research

He came from a renowned medical family in Minneapolis; his father was a dentist and his brothers were cardiologist James Lillehei and cardiothoracic surgeon C. Walton Lillehei. The Lillehei Surgical Society is named in honour of the three brothers.

Early life and education

Richard Carlton Lillehei was the son of a dentist from Minneapolis and the younger brother of cardiothoracic surgeon C. Walton Lillehei and cardiologist James Lillehei.[1]

He completed his early education from West Side High School in Edina, Minnesota and in 1948 graduated from the University of Minnesota. After graduating in medicine in 1951 from the University's medical school, he spent two years at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and gained his PhD in Surgery from the University of Minnesota in 1960.[1]

Pancreas transplantation

On 17 December 1966, Lillehei assisted William Kelly transplant part of a pancreas and a whole kidney into a 28-year-old woman with type I diabetes and renal disease. Post operative problems led to a decision to remove the graft and she died soon after. On New Year's Eve 1966, Lillehei led the world's first successful simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant. It involved transplanting the whole pancreas, accompanying duodenum and one kidney. The recipient survived four and a half months.[1][2][3][4]

By 1973, he would perform 13 pancreas transplants.[2]

His other fields of research included shock treatment, organ procurement, open-heart surgery and kidney transplantation.[1]

Personal and family

Lillehei married B.J. (Elizabeth Jeanne) and they had four sons, Richard C., Ted, John and James.[1]

Death and Legacy

In 1986, the Lillehei Surgical Society was founded in the names of the three Lillehei brothers.[5]

Every two years an award is given to the most outstanding clinician in the field of pancreas transplantation.[6]

References
  1. "History of Richard C. Lillehei". Lillehei Surgical Society. Retrieved 2019-02-13.
  2. Gruessner, Rainer W. G.; Sutherland, David E. R. (2004). "4. History of Pancreas Transplantation". Transplantation of the Pancreas. Springer. pp. 45–46. ISBN 0-387-00589-7.
  3. Han, Duck Jong; Sutherland, David ER (December 2010). "Pancreas Transplantation". Gut and Liver. 4 (4): 450–465. doi:10.5009/gnl.2010.4.4.450. ISSN 1976-2283. PMC 3021600. PMID 21253293.
  4. Thomas, Beje (16 May 2018). "Kidney-Pancreas Transplantation: Overview, Periprocedural Care, Technique". Medscape.
  5. "The C. Walton & Richard C. Lillehei Surgical Society". Department of Surgery - University of Minnesota. 3 April 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2019.
  6. "Richard Lillehei Memorial Lecture - TTS". www.tts.org. Retrieved 13 February 2019.


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