American surgeons transplant a pig's heart into a human
The University of Maryland announced that American surgeons succeeded in transplanting a genetically modified pig heart into a human patient, in the first operation of its kind.
The American University School of Medicine said in a statement that the surgery conducted on Friday proved for the first time that the heart of an animal can live in a human body without immediate rejection.
Patient David Bennett, 57, was deemed ineligible for a human heart transplant.
The Maryland resident undergoes intensive medical care to determine how the transplanted heart is performing.
On the eve of the operation, Bennett said, "Either I die or I have this transplant. I want to live...it's my last option."
The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency authorization for this surgery, as a last-ditch step for a patient who did not qualify for the traditional transplant.
Surgeon Bartley Griffiths, who performed the operation, said: "This is a ground-breaking surgery and brings us one step closer to resolving the organ shortage crisis."
"We are proceeding with caution, but we are also optimistic that this world's first surgery will provide an important new option for patients in the future."
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