On December 3, 1967, the first human heart transplant was performed by Dr Christiaan Barnard at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. The procedure involved transferring the heart of Denise Darvall, a 25-year-old car accident victim, to Louis Washkansky, a 53-year-old grocer with end-stage heart disease.
The surgery, lasting nine hours, was groundbreaking in medical history. Though Washkansky's body accepted the new heart, he lived for only 18 days, but later succumbed to pneumonia due to the immunosuppressive drugs he was given to prevent organ rejection.
This pioneering effort demonstrated the potential of organ transplant and encouraged decades of advancements that have improved patient survival rates dramatically. Dr Barnard's achievement remains a landmark in history, even as it blended medical innovation with ethical debates about organ donation and transplant.
Other key events on this day
1. Ayatollah Khomeini took office in Iran - 1970
2. Hulk Hogan defeated Undertaker to become 4th time WWF champion - 1991
3. Hitler viewed Poltava Ukraine - 1941
4. The first SMS text message was sent - 1992
5. Armistice signed in First Balkan War - 1912
6. International Day of Persons with Disabilities observed
7. Explosion killed thousands at pesticide plant In Bhopal, India - 1984.
Comments