First Human Heart Transplant
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to the lungs. In humans, the heart is approximately the size of a closed fist and is located between the lungs, in the middle compartment of the chest.
On December 3, 1967, a team of surgeons at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis led by Dr. Barnard successfully performed the first human heart transplant. The surgery was a success, but the patient only lived for 18 days due to organ rejection. Facts and First Human Heart Transplant Operation.
First Human Heart Transplant Operation
The first human heart transplant operation was conducted on December 3, 1967 by Dr. Christiaan Barnard at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. The patient, Louis Washkansky, was a 54-year-old grocer who had suffered a heart attack. The donor was a 25-year-old woman who had been fatally injured in a car accident.
Barnard’s team of surgeons transplanted the heart of the woman into Washkansky’s chest. The surgery was a success, and Washkansky lived for 18 days after the operation. However, he developed a lung infection and died from complications.
Many people were skeptical about the feasibility and safety of such a surgery. However, over the years, heart transplant surgery has become a common treatment for heart disease.
Facts and First Human Heart Transplant Operation.
