First Patient To Receive Heart Transplant From A Pig Dies Two Months After Surgery

The first person to receive a heart transplant from a pig has now died, two months after the groundbreaking experiment, announced University of Maryland Medical Center on Wednesday.

The Maryland hospital that performed the surgery announced that David Bennett, 57, died on Tuesday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Doctors didn't give an exact cause of death, saying only that his condition had begun deteriorating several days earlier.

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Surgery was hailed as a medical milestone

Bennett had received the transplant in January 2022, passed away on 8 March, according to the University of Maryland Medical System. The heart was from a genetically-modified pig.

The surgery, which was hailed as a medical milestone, had made doctors around the world optimistic about cross-species organ donation as a possible solution to deal with the problem of the shortage of human organs for donation.

"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.

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Heart performed very well for several weeks

Following surgery, the transplanted heart had performed very well for several weeks without any signs of rejection, the hospital added. In the time after his surgery, Bennett spent time with family, participated in physical therapy, watched the Super Bowl and spoke often about wanting to go home to see 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.

He was deemed ineligible for human transplant

Bennett came to the hospital in the eastern US state of Maryland in October 2021. He was bedridden and placed on 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.

"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.

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

Reporting in US media also revealed Bennett was convicted of stabbing a man several times in 1988, leaving the victim paralyzed and needing to use a wheelchair before he died in 2005.

Medical ethicists hold that a person's past criminal history should have no bearing on their future health treatment.

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