Spain adopts HIV organ transplant protocol, performs first intestine‑pancreas transplant

Spain has approved its first national protocol that permits organ transplants between HIV‑positive donors and recipients. The guidelines require donors and recipients to have a stable, undetectable viral load and adequate CD4 counts, and limit the procedure to specialised transplant centres. The measure lifts a ban dating back to 1987, expanding organ availability for patients living with HIV and addressing longstanding discrimination.

In Madrid, the Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre successfully carried out Spain’s first simultaneous intestine‑pancreas transplant, a complex procedure described only once before in international literature. The 46‑year‑old male patient, suffering from short bowel syndrome and type‑1 diabetes, had been reliant on long‑term parenteral nutrition. The surgery proceeded without incident, and the patient was discharged after 16 days, now continuing recovery at home with a near‑normal diet. The achievement underscores Spain’s growing expertise in high‑complexity abdominal organ transplantation.