Recent reports indicate that a 58-year-old man underwent a pig heart transplant at the University of Maryland School of Medicine last month, and his condition has begun to improve with no signs of organ rejection so far. A recently released video shows Lawrence Faucette working with a physical therapist to regain his strength. Faucette was dying from heart failure before the transplant on September 20. He was not eligible for a human heart transplant due to other health conditions.
This case marks the second instance in which doctors at the University of Maryland have used a pig heart to save a person from death due to heart disease. Last year, the team performed the first transplant on David Bennett, who lived for only two months with the pig heart. Although it is believed that a pig virus may have contributed to his death, the underlying cause was not determined. Therefore, before performing the second transplant on Mr. Faucette, the team conducted a better viral testing of the pig heart.
Another research team at NYU Langone Health recently transplanted pig hearts into two recently deceased patients who were on life support. Research related to organ transplantation from animals to humans has gained significant popularity, partly due to the fact that the demand for transplantable organs exceeds supply, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Despite scientists working on organ transplant techniques for decades, success has been limited. When an animal organ is placed into a human body, the immune system typically destroys the foreign tissues immediately.
However, there are currently no signs that Faucette’s body is rejecting his new heart. A spokesperson for the hospital where the patient is recovering told the Associated Press that Mr. Faucette is already able to stand, and physical therapists are helping him work on walking again. Mohamed Mohiuddin, director of the heart transplant program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, stated, “His heart is doing everything on its own.”
