A few weeks after the second Pig heart transplant The 58-year-old recipient died as a replacement organ. After the operation on September 20 Lawrence Faucet, who suffered from an incurable heart disease, has made significant progress, University Hospital Baltimore announced Tuesday. In the last few days, however, his heart has fallen Signs of rejection showing. Despite all efforts, he passed away on October 30th.
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“We mourn the loss of Mr. Faucette, a remarkable patient, scientist, Navy veteran and family man who simply wanted to spend a little more time with his loving wife, children and family,” said Surgeon General Bartley Griffith. Ann Faucette, wife of the late patient, said, “He knew his time with us was short and that this was his last chance to do something for others.” Her husband never imagined he would survive this long or provide so much data to the transplant program.
Rapid deterioration
The first patient, 57-year-old David Bennett, also had this organ implanted at Baltimore University Hospital in January 2022. After the operation, the seriously ill man’s condition was initially relatively stable, but then rapidly deteriorated. The man died about two months after the transplant.
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So-called xenotransplantation – transferring organs from animals to humans – has been researched since the 1980s. Pigs are considered particularly suitable as donors because their metabolism is similar to that of humans. The biggest challenge, even with human organs, is getting the recipients’ bodies to accept the organs, the clinic said.