Rare triple organ transplant done by New York hospital in 14-hour lifesaving surgery

MANHASSET, NY — Doctors at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York performed a rare three-organ transplant procedure all in one.

Our sister station WABC-TV spoke to the 47-year-old heart, liver and kidney transplant recipient about the 14-hour life-saving procedure.

“I do believe that God was working with all these people around me,” said triple-transplant recipient Sergio Arias Cestoni.

Cestoni considers it a miracle.

His doctors at the Northwell Transplant Institute call it a profound moment in medicine.

Either way, 47-year-old Cestoni is feeling better than ever with his new liver, kidney and heart.

“10 years, I didn’t feel my heart in that way,” Cestoni said.

The three new organs were all a match from the same donor.

The incredibly rare type of surgery has been performed fewer than 80 times in the last two decades in the country.

Cestoni had been waiting in North Shore University hospital for three months, hoping for a donor.

Then he got the news he would have a chance to live.

“It was a big moment. I didn’t know if I have to cry. If I have to smile. I don’t know,” Cestoni said.

One organ after another followed: first the heart, then the liver and then the kidney over 14 hours of surgery.

“Completing a complex task like this in a hospital truly represents comprehensive, multi-disciplinary care,” stated Dr. Nabil Dagher, Director of Northwell Transplant Institute.

A decade ago, no Long Island hospital conducted heart or liver transplants. The introduction of these procedures at Northwell has been groundbreaking.

“It’s not just another typical day at work. Moments like these are incredibly gratifying for the entire team,” expressed Dr. Ahmel Fahmy, a Surgeon specializing in Kidney Transplants.

It’s also a reminder of the importance of organ donation.

“I feel so proud to get all these organs, and try to honor my donor,” Cestoni said.