David Bennett, a 57-year-old patient with terminal heart
disease, has undergone a successful transplant of a genetically-modified pig’s
heart — the first-operation-of-its-kind.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the University
of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), the historic surgery was conducted on
Friday.
The organ transplant was reportedly the only available
option for the patient who was said to be suffering from life-threatening
arrhythmia — a condition where the heart beats with an irregular pattern.
Bennett was said to have been hospitalised and bed-ridden
for months and connected to a heart-lung bypass machine to remain alive.
He had reportedly been deemed ineligible for a conventional
heart transplant at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and other
leading transplant centres that reviewed his medical records.
“It was either die or do this transplant. I want to live. I
know it’s a shot in the dark, but it’s my last choice. I look forward to
getting out of bed after I recover.” Bennett had reportedly said before the
surgery.
The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency
authorisation for the surgery on December 31, 2021, through its expanded access
(compassionate use) provision in the hope of saving the patient’s life.
Commenting on the surgery, Bartley Griffith, director of the
cardiac transplant programme at the medical centre, who performed the
operation, said the “breakthrough surgery brings us one step closer to solving
the organ shortage crisis”.
“There are simply not enough donor human hearts available to
meet the long list of potential recipients,” he was quoted as saying.
“We are proceeding cautiously, but we are also optimistic
that this first-in-the-world surgery will provide an important new option for
patients in the future.”
On his part, Muhammad Mohiuddin, professor of surgery at
UMSOM who established the cardiac xenotransplantation programme with Griffith,
said the procedure will offer benefits for addressing heart disease.
“This is the
culmination of years of highly complicated research to hone this technique in
animals with survival times that have reached beyond nine months,” he was
quoted as saying.
“The FDA used our data and data on the experimental pig to
authorize the transplant in an end-stage heart disease patient who had no other
treatment options.
“The successful procedure provided valuable information to
help the medical community improve this potentially life-saving method in
future patients.”
Bennett will be monitored over the coming weeks to determine
whether the transplant provides lifesaving benefits.
His doctors also said he could be taken off the machine on
Tuesday, since the first 48 hours, said to be critical, have passed without an
incident.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com