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MURRAY — Doctors at Intermountain Medical Center are celebrating a first: a heart and liver transplant in the same patient, during one operation. It's the first transplant surgery of its kind in the state of Utah.
The patient, Mike Mader, is just 31 years old and has a genetic disorder that caused him to have 18 heart attacks over the past nine years. But five weeks after his surgery, he has hope for a normal life.
"I just never knew what to expect, just always the thought of a sudden cardiac death," Mader told reporters at a press conference Thursday afternoon. Once fearing every day could be his last, his future is now bright.
"He looks terrific. If you passed him on the street, you wouldn't know he had a transplant," said Dr. John Doty, a heart surgeon at Intermountain Medical Center. "When we walked in this morning, we did a little double take because he looked so good."
Mader's surgery took place on April 23. Doctors successfully transplanted a new heart and a new liver into his body during the same operation.
"Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited disorder that leads to aggressive and premature cardiovascular disease. ...
"The vast majority of the cholesterol circulating in a person's body is produced by the liver. Cholesterol is a necessary component in the structure and function of human cells. Individuals with FH are unable to recycle this natural supply of cholesterol that their bodies are constantly producing. Therefore, the cholesterol levels of an individual with FH are exceedingly high. Over time the elevated blood cholesterol can lead to blockages in the arteries of the heart and/or brain."
Source: The FH Foundation
"To do two complicated procedures and put them together into one large complicated procedure, I can't tell you the amount of hours that went into planning this," said Dr. Kent Jones, also a heart surgeon at IMC.
Mader suffered from familila hypercholesterolemia — a condition that runs in his family, which prevented his liver from processing cholesterol.
"The way it affected his heart is that because he couldn't clear the cholesterol from his body, that led to blockages from the arteries in his heart, or coronary disease," said Dr. Deborah Budge, Mader's cardiologist.
Since the surgery, Mader's cholesterol levels have lowered to what's considered a normal range. After waiting three years for a compatible heart and liver, he said he will live the rest of his life thankful for the medical team and his donor.
"(I'm) just extremely grateful. It's the best gift anyone could receive," Mader said. "It's mixed emotions: You feel bad for the family that had to go through a tragedy, but I just can't thank them enough. It's amazing. It saved my life."
Mader said he has been limited for some time from doing what most people consider the simple things in life. But as he recovers, he will be able to do more physically exerting activities.
The successful operation that saved his life will also open the door for more of them in the future at IMC.
