The first person in the world to get a heart
transplant from a genetically-modified pig has died
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| Surgeon Bartley P Griffith pictured with David Bennett earlier this month |
A 57-year-old Maryland man named David Bennett
who received a gene-modified pig's heart in first-of-its-kind transplantsurgery died on 8 March, two months after the groundbreaking experiment.
The cause of David Bennett’s death wasn't
immediately disclosed, and doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center
didn't say whether it was connected to any complications from the transplant,
just saying, "his condition began deteriorating several days ago".
The hospital performed the surgery on
January 7, 2022.
"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 university stated.
The transplanted heart performed very well for
several weeks without any sign of rejection, which showed a hope for organ
transplant from animal to human and to solve the chronic shortage of organ
donation.
Dr Griffith said previously- "the surgery
would bring the world one step closer to solving the organ shortage
crisis"
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| Pig heart He was deemed ineligible for human transplant, 57 years old Bennett with terminal heart disease,
came to the hospital in the eastern US state of Maryland in October 2021. He
was bedridden and placed on an emergency life support machine. He had been
deemed ineligible for human transplant, a decision that is often taken when the
recipient has very poor underlying health. "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 surgeon Bartley Griffith, who performed the transplant, said
in a statement released by the hospital. He had already been bedridden for six weeks
leading up to the surgery, attached to a machine which was keeping him alive. For Bennett, the procedure was his last option.
But his condition deteriorated, leaving doctors
"devastated".  But Mr Bennett's son, David Jr, said he hoped his
father's transplant would "be the beginning of hope and not the end",
according to news agency AP. "We are grateful for every innovative
moment, every crazy dream, every sleepless night that went into this historic
effort," he added. "Before consenting to receive the
transplant, Mr. Bennett was fully informed of the procedure's risks, and that
the procedure was experimental with unknown risks and benefits," the hospital
said. On Dec. 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
granted an emergency authorization for the surgery in the hope of saving his life.
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