For the first time in the world, a man in the US has got a genetically modified pig heart in a transplant.
The 57-year-old David Bennett is doing well three days after the operation, University of Maryland Medicine said in a news release on Monday.
David Bennett had terminal heart disease, and the pig heart was “the only currently available option,” according to the release. Bennett was deemed ineligible for a conventional heart transplant or an artificial heart pump after reviews of his medical records.
Bennett’s doctors will need to monitor him for days to weeks to see whether the transplant works to provide lifesaving benefits. He’ll be monitored for immune system problems or other complications.
