On September 24, the AFP reported that a 58-year-old man has become the second patient in the world to receive a genetically modified pig heart transplant, following the first successful case in January 2022, after which the patient unfortunately passed away.
The transplanted organ is a genetically modified pig heart. (Photo: University of Maryland Medical Center).
The transplantation of animal organs could provide a solution to the severe shortage of human organs. Currently, over 100,000 patients in the United States are on the waiting list for organ transplantation.
Both pig heart transplant surgeries were performed by specialists at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Maryland, USA.
The patient from the first case was a 57-year-old man who died on March 8, 2022, due to “numerous factors including his poor health condition.” Previously, specialists at the University of Maryland reported that the patient contracted a virus from pigs called Cytomegalovirus (CMV).
The latest surgery took place on September 20, involving patient Lawrence Faucette, who qualified for the heart transplant due to pre-existing vascular disease and internal bleeding complications.
Mr. Faucette is almost certain to face heart failure and agreed to the trial. (Photo: University of Maryland Medical Center).
If he did not receive the experimental transplant, Mr. Faucette was almost certain to face heart failure. He is a Navy veteran and has two children.
“My only real hope left is to receive the transplanted pig heart. At least now I have hope and a chance,” he stated before the surgery.
The University of Maryland reported that after the transplant, Mr. Faucette was able to breathe on his own, and the new heart was functioning well without any assistance from supportive devices. Currently, the patient is taking standard anti-rejection medications as well as receiving a new antibody therapy to prevent his body from harming or rejecting the new organ.
