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Recipient of World’s First Heart Transplant with a Modified Pig Heart Dies

David Bennett
David Bennett | Image by University of Maryland Medical Center

The beneficiary of the world’s first heart transplant with a genetically modified pig heart has died, just 2 months after the groundbreaking surgery.

According to a news release from the University of Maryland Medical Center, where the procedure was performed, 57-year-old David Bennett died on March 8.

The medical center stated that Bennett’s death came only 2 months after he underwent the transplant on January 7.

Specialists did not say how the patient died, but mentioned that his health had been deteriorating in the days before his death.

The medical center revealed that the 57-year-old was given compassionate palliative care after it became clear he would not recover, and that he was able to communicate with his family in his final hours.

Bartley P. Griffith, M.D., who performed the surgery, said in a statement that everyone at the medical center was devastated by Bennett’s loss.

“He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end,” Griffith said. “We extend our sincerest condolences to his family.”

The Dallas Express previously reported that Bennett’s surgery was made possible due to an emergency authorization of the operation by the FDA. The surgery, which lasted 7 hours, was risky because Bennett had to be immunosuppressed for the majority of its duration.

The medical center revealed that Bennett was able to spend time with his family after the operation, as the transplanted heart performed very well for several weeks and showed no signs of rejection.

Bennett was also able to participate in physical therapy. The 57-year-old watched the Super Bowl with his physical therapist and talked about wanting to get home to Luck, his dog.

Pig hearts are the current frontrunner for possible animal heart transplants, as Crispr gene-editing has allowed for the pig virus gene to be omitted from tissues and additional changes to pigs’ genetics can make their hearts compatible with the human body.

Griffith added that Bennett’s surgery “led to valuable insights” that would help transplant surgeons improve outcomes and provide lifesaving benefits to future patients.

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