Carnegie man receives second chance at life after double organ transplant at UPMC
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Carnegie man received a second chance at life after being considered high risk for a transplant.
Dan Warzinski needed not only a heart but a liver as well. He is still on the road to recovery after getting a new heart and liver in October.
He was born with a single ventricle heart, meaning one of the two pumping chambers is not large enough or strong enough to work correctly. After having surgeries as a baby, he had another procedure done at 10. Everything was going well and at the beginning of the pandemic, he was routinely walking.
"Five to six miles a day. Feeling pretty good. Summer and fall of that same year, I could only go a half-mile," Warzinski said.
That's when he knew something was wrong. Warzinski got a pacemaker in 2020 but knew more was going to have to be done. Years of heart complications took their toll on his liver.
"That ultimately led to his liver failure. The liver fails because there is not enough blood getting to it because of the heart failure," UPMC Surgical Director for Liver Transplant Dr. Christopher Hughes said.
Early in 2022, Warzinski went on the transplant list.
"I was checking my phone constantly, even throughout the night," Warzinski said.
The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months. Then in September, he went to UPMC Presbyterian to move up his status and get a donor.
"It's emotional at first. You're in the hospital for a month knowing this is the end game, but you're just kind of waiting," Warzinski said.
On Oct. 3, Dr. David Kaczorowski told Warzinski that he was getting his transplants.
"There could be a lot of times where things can be very difficult, but to see someone get through successfully, it's extraordinarily rewarding," Dr. Kaczorowski said.
Double organ transplants are not overly common but have been done with surgeons at UPMC.
"It's our job to make sure we're the best we can be and be as prepared as we can be in preparation for an operation like this," Dr. Hughes said.
After a couple of weeks of recovery, Warzinski went back home. His strength and energy continue to come back each day.
"I had the easy part in this. Post-transplant, just exercise, diet, taking my medicines on time," Warzinski said.
Warzinski knows his second chance at life comes with another family's loss. He said they can't be thanked enough for the gift they gave him.
"It's the ultimate gift you can give somebody and how much I appreciate that gift," Warzinski said about the person who decided to donate their organs.
For the doctors, seeing his recovery is the inspiration to continue helping others.
"It makes you do the next one. The next person comes along and you're ready to go at it again," Hughes said.
"To really get to see these patients thriving, it's extraordinarily rewarding. There's no other feeling like it," Kaczorowski said.
Warzinski hopes this surgery keeps him here for all the memories life will create with his wife and teenage daughter.
"She has a lot of big moments coming up. We wanted to get done now so I'm around for those moments," Warzinski said.
If you would like to learn more about organ donation, visit this link.