Dave Bennett has made medical history as the first man who received a pig heart transplant. The pig's heart had been genetically modified to work inside a human body.
The 57-year-old dad, who has been waiting for a new heart for some time, got the good news from his team of doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center on New Year's Eve. They informed him that the FDA finally granted the emergency authorization for the pig heart transplant, which meant that they could proceed with the ground-breaking operation as soon as possible.
So, on Friday, January 7, 2021, Bennet underwent surgery without any hitches and has been recovering well from the unique procedure. His doctor, Dr. Bartley Griffith, told USA Today that the new heart looks "reasonably happy in its new host" after the surgery. The outcome has also exceeded all expectations.
For over 45 days, Bennett has been hooked to a machine that helped pump blood into his body. After the transplant, the dad is off the machine, breathing on his own and speaking softly to the medical team.
His doctor said Bennett was not supposed to be off the machines until another week. However, his new transplanted heart was "rocking and rolling," and his health has generally stabilized; thus, he progressed earlier.
Why Was Bennett Chosen?
The father had a procedure called Xenotransplantation, which involves transplanting animals' cells, tissues, and organs into a human body. His doctors chose a pig heart because of its similarities with a human heart. A pig's heart may also be easily genetically altered through procedures used for the human heart.
Revivicor developed the one-year-old pig used for the transplant. It had ten genes modified with four genes knocked back and inactivated to reduce the chances of rejection. Six human genes were also included in its genome to ensure that Bennett's body would not reject the pig heart.
According to his doctors, Bennett was not ideal for a human heart transplant because he didn't have regular medical appointments and didn't take his medications as prescribed. The experts noted that, based on previous surgeries, patients who fail to follow their doctor's orders usually do not survive a transplant procedure.
But scientists have been studying for years on transplanting pig hearts into the body of baboons through genetic modifications that will one day prove to be helpful to humans. Such a procedure fitted right for Bennett.
The dad was also an ideal candidate for this first pig heart transplant procedure because he did not have any ethical, moral dilemma about this scientific breakthrough. In 2013, Bennet had heart surgery for a pig valve implantation.
Significant for the World
Bennett's son, David Bennett Jr., hailed the successful outcome that has given hope for countless other people. He relayed that this father was in the operating room for three days and emerged with some swelling in his body.
While David Jr. said that his father's first words were, "I can't take this," he knows his dad is the strongest deep inside. The son said this had been a miracle for their family, the U.S., and the rest of the world.
"I myself have some heart issues at 37 years old so my dad is certainly changing the future for even myself," the son said.
