First person with pig heart dies two months after transplant surgery

First person with pig heart dies two months after transplant surgery

Web Desk
March 9, 2022

First person with pig heart dies two months after transplant surgery

WASHINGTON: According to the hospital that performed the surgery, the first person to receive a heart transplant from a genetically engineered pig died two months after the medical milestone.

The surgery sparked hope that breakthroughs in cross-species organ donation will one day alleviate the chronic lack of human organs available for donation, and the team behind it said they are still enthusiastic about the operation’s future success.

David Bennett, 57, received his transplant on January 7 and died on March 8, according to the University of Maryland Medical System.

“His condition began deteriorating several days ago. After it became clear that he would not recover, he was given compassionate palliative care. He was able to communicate with his family during his final hours,” the statement said.

The hospital reported that the transplanted heart had behaved admirably for several weeks after surgery, with no evidence of rejection.

Bennett spent time with his family following his operation, went to physical therapy, watched the Super Bowl, and expressed a strong desire to return home to visit his dog Lucky.

“He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family,” said Bartley Griffith, the surgeon who led the procedure.

Bennett arrived at the hospital in Maryland, a state in the eastern United States, in October 2021. He was confined to his bed and placed on a life support machine. He had been ruled ineligible for a human transplant, a judgement that is frequently made when the patient’s underlying health is extremely poor.

“We have gained invaluable insights learning that the genetically modified pig heart can function well within the human body while the immune system is adequately suppressed,” said Muhammad Mohiuddin, director of the university’s cardiac xenotransplantation program.

“We remain optimistic and plan on continuing our work in future clinical trials.”

Bennett was also convicted of stabbing a man many times in 1988, leaving the victim crippled and requiring the use of a wheelchair before he died in 2005, according to US media reports.

Medical ethicists believe that a person’s criminal history should have no influence on how they are treated in the future.