The terminally ill patient is saved by a pig’s heart

David Bennett would die soon if he did not undergo surgery, however, doctors at the University of Maryland in the United States were able, for the first time in history, to perform a transplant from a pig’s heart to a living human. The surgery took eight hours, and the organ came from a genetically modified animal, so as not to do any harm to the patient’s body, that is, with no substances that could cause rejection of the transplanted organ.

During the operation, the doctors noticed that the heart did not fit perfectly, and they had to make some adjustments right away to make the organ work.

Doctors look forward to future attempts to perform such procedures on other people. “It’s working and looking normal. We’re super excited, but we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. It’s never happened before,” Bartley Griffiths, director of the university’s transplant program, said in an interview with The New York Times.

Scientists hope that with this type of procedure, there will be a reduction in the waiting list for people waiting for organ donation. And despite the success, it is necessary to pay close attention, as it is necessary to follow the development of David, who at the moment is fine, but connected to a machine that helps his heart to beat properly, which is normal for people who have gone through this type of procedure.

David must be disconnected from the machine on Thursday (1/13). According to the doctors, the device is working as expected, and at the moment it does most of the work. He is still being monitored for any signs of organ rejection and infections.

Source: Metropoles, O Globo, and TSF