The second person in the world to receive a pig heart transplant has passed away after 40 days, as per a report by CNN. Lawrence Faucette, aged 58, was suffering from heart failure and received the genetically modified pig heart on September 20. The University of Maryland School of Medicine revealed that the heart appeared healthy for the first month but showed signs of rejection in recent days. Faucette lived for almost six weeks post-surgery and passed away on Monday.
According to a statement released by the hospital, Faucette had shown significant progress after the surgery, participating in physical therapy, spending time with his family, and playing cards with his wife, Ann. However, his heart began to exhibit initial signs of rejection, which is also a major challenge in traditional human organ transplants. Despite the medical team’s best efforts, Faucette ultimately succumbed on October 30.
Faucette, a Navy veteran and retired lab technician at the National Institutes of Health, had been denied a conventional heart transplant due to other health issues before coming to the Maryland hospital. Without the experimental transplant, he faced almost certain heart failure.
Ann Faucette, Mr. Faucette’s wife, mentioned that her husband knew his time with them was limited and considered this his last opportunity to help others. He never imagined he would survive as long as he did.
Dr. Bartley Griffith, the clinical director of the Cardiac Xenotransplantation Program at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, stated that Faucette’s final wish was for the medical team to utilize the knowledge gained from his experience to ensure others have a chance for a new heart when a human organ is unavailable. He expressed his love for the team of doctors and nurses before his passing. The loss of Mr. Faucette will be deeply felt.
Xenotransplantation, the transplantation of animal organs into humans, could potentially address the persistent shortage of human organ donations. However, these procedures are complex due to the patient’s immune system attacking the foreign organ. Scientists have been working on genetically modifying pig organs to make them more compatible with human organs.
The University of Maryland team had previously performed the world’s first transplant of a genetically altered pig heart into another man last year. Unfortunately, the recipient, David Bennett, passed away two months after the transplant on March 8, 2022, as per the University of Maryland Medical System’s statement.
