Preeyanuch Chanwongwanit, a mother of four from New Berlin, Wisconsin, received a life-saving kidney transplant at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after being diagnosed with an allergy to general anesthesia. Chanwongwanit had previously experienced two failed transplant attempts at another health system where she went into cardiac arrest before surgery could begin, according to a July 23 statement.
Vinayak Rohan, MD, a transplant surgeon at Northwestern Medicine, said, “This is one of the most bizarre stories I’ve ever heard. This patient had two previous attempts at kidney transplantation at another health system but went into cardiac arrest on the table before the surgeries could even start.”
Due to her condition, Chanwongwanit’s care team in Wisconsin contacted Northwestern Medicine’s AWAKE Program (Accelerated Surgery Without General Anesthesia in Kidney Transplantation), which allows certain patients to remain conscious during their procedure using spinal anesthesia instead of general anesthesia. Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center and transplant surgeon, said, “The AWAKE Program was built for patients like Preeyanuch. When her medical team in Wisconsin called us, they said, ‘we know Northwestern Medicine is the only place that can help her.’ To date, we’ve performed 25 kidney transplant procedures where the patient is fully awake, and Preeyanuch is our first patient from Wisconsin. The AWAKE Program represents our commitment to continuously reimagine what is possible in transplant care. We’re incredibly proud to offer this innovation and deeply grateful for the opportunity to help patients like Preeyanuch.”
Chanwongwanit underwent surgery on May 25 using spinal anesthesia and reported no complications or pain during or after the procedure. She was able to return home within 36 hours of surgery. Her husband Arthur Lee said about Dr. Rohan and his team, “Dr. Rohan explained to us how the surgery would work, and we immediately felt more comfortable knowing general anesthesia wasn’t part of the plan... What could have been another stressful experience turned into one filled with reassurance.” Chanwongwanit added, “I was completely alert on the operating room table... didn’t experience any pain and went home 36 hours after surgery.”
Two months following her operation, Chanwongwanit's new kidney continues functioning well, allowing her family life routines—including children’s activities—to resume as normal. She expressed gratitude toward both her organ donor and medical staff, saying: “Instead of living life from the sidelines I can now be there for my four children every day – celebrating milestones and making memories... I’m so grateful to my organ donor and the incredible team at Northwestern Medicine for giving me a second chance at life.”
Northwestern Medicine surgeons performed their first AWAKE kidney transplant in June 2024; since then they have completed 25 such procedures without general anesthesia as part of efforts designed for those unable to tolerate it—also reducing hospital stays compared with traditional methods.
Northwestern Medicine operates under its parent organization Northwestern Memorial HealthCare with Howard B. Chrisman serving as president and chief executive officer; it aims to provide world-class care through its focus on patient care, education, research, community service, collaborations, clinical research, physician well-being programs, and humanitarian awards recognizing compassion and impact, according to the official website.
