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First Successful Pig-to-Human Heart Xenotransplant

The world’s first pig-to-human heart xenotransplant was successfully performed on January 7, 2022, at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in Baltimore, Maryland. The 8-h procedure was implemented by the cardiac surgery team that was led by Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin and Dr. Bartley Griffith. It denotes the first time a pig organ has been relocated into a human with a chance to survive and recover. David Bennett, the 57-year-old male patient with terminal heart failure, received a transplanted heart from a genetically modified pig. The heart xenotransplant was the only viable solution for various reasons. Due to his history of disobedience, he was denied five times previously for a traditional heart transplantation. David Bennett was already on cardiac support for almost two months, furthermore he couldn’t acquire a mechanical heart, because of heart arrhythmia. Figure presents the first successful pig-to-human heart xenotransplantation at (UMSOM).





Citation: 

Rozenbaum, M. (2022, January 20). Pig to human heart transplants: How did we get here? Understanding Animal Research. Retrieved February 26, 2023, from https://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/news/how-did-we-get-to-pig-hearts-in-humans 


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