WHAT:
Human to Human Heart Transplant
WHERE:
Groote Schuur Hospital, Main Rd, Observatory, Cape Town, 7935, South Africa
LOCATION:
WHEN:
3rd September 1967
WHO:
Christiaan Barnard
DETAILS:
The first human-to-human heart transplant was performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard on December 3, 1967, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. The recipient was Louis Washkansky, a 53-year-old man suffering from severe heart failure. The donor was Denise Darvall, a young woman who had suffered fatal head injuries in an accident.
The operation was groundbreaking, making Barnard a global pioneer in cardiac surgery. Though Washkansky survived for 18 days before succumbing to pneumonia due to immunosuppressive drugs, the surgery proved that heart transplantation was possible and paved the way for future advancements in the field.
LINKS:
CREDIT:
Picture credit: Heart of Cape Town Museum
