Lawrence Faucette, a 58-year-old American, became the second person to date to have a genetically modified pig heart operated on.
The transplant was performed this week at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The first one was also made there, in January last year.
The first patient, American David Bennet, 57 years old, survived for two months with his new heart. According to the university, there were several reasons why he died after the operation, including that he was in very poor condition before it was done.
The only hope
The latest transplant was performed Wednesday at Lawrence Faucette. He was deemed not suitable to have a human heart operated on because he has cardiovascular disease and has previously had problems with internal bleeding.
Without a transplant, the risk was very high that Faucette would suffer cardiac arrest, and he said before the operation that his only hope now is a so-called xenotransplantation, that is, receiving an animal organ.
– The only hope I have left is to drive with the pig’s heart, the xenotransplantation. At least now there is hope and I have a chance, Lawrence Faucette is said to have said before the operation.
Breathe yourself
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the procedure went according to plan and Faucette is breathing on her own and her heart is functioning well “without the help of machines.”
He is given medications, both proven and a new kind, to reduce the risk of the body rejecting the new heart.
Transplantation of animal organs into humans, known as xenotransplantation, is thought to offer a solution to the chronic shortage of human organs for transplantation. In the United States alone, more than 100,000 people are currently on the waiting list for an organ transplant.