First pig heart transplant patient dies after 2 months
This handout photo released by the University of Maryland School of Medicine on January 10 shows surgeon Dr Bartley Griffith (left) with patient David Bennett, who received a heart implant from a genetically modified pig, in Baltimore, Maryland.
The first person to receive a heart transplant from a genetically modified pig has died two months after the medical milestone, the hospital that carried out the surgery said on Wednesday.
The procedure raised hopes that advances in cross-species organ donation could one day solve the chronic shortage of human organs available for donation, and the team behind the operation say they are "optimistic" about its future success.
David Bennett, 57, had received his transplant on January 7 and passed away on March 8, the University of Maryland Medical System said in a statement.
"There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death," a hospital spokesman told AFP, adding 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."
"We were having difficulty maintaining a balance between his immunosuppression and controlling his infection," he 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, a hospital statement said.
Following surgery, the transplanted heart had performed very well for several weeks without any signs of rejection, the hospital added.
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.
He 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.
Mohiuddin said that the team had "gained invaluable insights" from the experience, adding: "We remain optimistic and plan on continuing our work in future clinical trials."
Reporting in US media also revealed Bennett was convicted of stabbing a man several times in 1988, leaving the victim paralyzed and wheelchair-bound before he died in 2005.
Medical ethicists hold that a person's past criminal history should have no bearing on their future treatment.
