In a first, US surgeons successfully implant pig’s heart in a human
US surgeons have successfully implanted a heart from a genetically modified pig in a 57-year-old man, a historic medical breakthrough that could provide a solution to the chronic shortage of organ donations.
The historic procedure took place Friday, the University of Maryland Medical School said in a statement on Monday. While the patient's prognosis is far from certain, it represents a major milestone for animal-to-human transplantation.
The patient, David Bennett, had been deemed ineligible for human transplant because of his very poor underlying health.
He is now recovering and being carefully monitored to determine how the new organ performs.
"This was a breakthrough surgery and brings us one step closer to solving the organ shortage crisis," said Bartley Griffith, who surgically transplanted the pig heart.
"We are proceeding cautiously, but we are also optimistic that this first-in-the-world surgery will provide an important new option for patients in the future."
Bennett, who has spent the last several months bedridden on a heart-lung bypass machine, added: "I look forward to getting out of bed after I recover."
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