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David Bennett, first man to receive pig heart transplant dies after 2 months
The Arab News reported, citing the AFP, the first person to receive a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig has died two months after the medical milestone. The announcement came as the hospital that carried out the surgery said Wednesday.
The University of Maryland Medical System said in a statement that David Bennett, 57, had received his transplant on January 7 and passed away March 8.
A hospital spokesman told AFP: “There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death.”
It added that physicians were carrying out a review that would be published in a scientific journal.
Muhammad Mohiuddin, director of the university’s cardiac xenotransplantation program, did however say in a video statement that Bennett was having “infectious episodes.”
He added: “We were having difficulty maintaining a balance between his immunosuppression and controlling his infection."
A hospital statement said, Bennett’s 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 hospital added that following surgery, the transplanted heart had performed very well for several weeks without any signs of rejection.
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Bennett was able to spend time with family, participated in physical therapy, watched the Super Bowl and spoke often about wanting to go home to see his dog Lucky.
Bennett came to the hospital in the eastern US state of Maryland in October 2021, and was bed-ridden 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.
About 110,000 Americans are currently waiting for an organ transplant, and more than 6,000 patients die each year before getting one, according to official figures.
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To meet demand, doctors have long been interested in so-called xenotransplantation, or cross-species organ donation, with experiments tracing back to the 17th century.
Source: arabnews
