Hi,

I well remember Christiaan Barnard performed his first human heart transplant just under 60 years ago – The heart was transplanted in Groote Schuur Hospital  in Cape Town.

Chris Barnaard performed the world’s first human-to-human heart transplantation by implanting the heart of 25-year-old Denise Darvall, who had died in a car accident, into Lewis Washkansky, a 53-year-old male patient who was suffering from end-stage heart failure.

However, Louis Washkansky, the first heart transplant patient died only 18 days later. Subsequently, Barnard’s second patient, Dr Blaiberg, a 58-year-old local dental surgeon lived for one and a half years and therefore served as a very encouraging example for many surgeons around the globe. Nevertheless, it thus appeared that the surgical technique was manageable, it became apparent that the challenge was good post-operative care with regards to immunosuppressive therapy to avoid organ rejection.

The reason the operation was conducted in South Africa was, as explained to me years later by Chris, who I met a few times with his wife as I knew Barbara’s parents, the Zoellners, in Johannesburg and thus met Chris several times – his explanation was that there were several heart surgeons on the verge of transplant and he had been working with them in America but South Africa had laxer laws pertaining to experimental surgery. I was fortunate to meet Chris as he was almost 30 years older than I was.

It was clearly explained to Lewis Washkansky that the operation had limited likelihood of success but he realised he was on the verge of death and he and his family were happy to experiment, more in hope than expectation.  Richard Slayman’s family faced the same risk in March this year – it is clear to all that the more a responsible experimentation the better the future potential outcomes.

Today, as a result of Chris Barnard’s early operations progress has been made and heart transplants are relatively common successful surgery – just as Richard Slayman’s pig kidney is a stepping stone to a likely future end to dialysis. 

I have been most fortunate in that I met Chris Barnard, I also have a friend of almost my age who is one of the longest successes having had her Pacemaker for over 30 years and also have a friend and she is one of the first successful British who fully Transitioned at 21 over 30 years ago.

• Born: November 8, 1922, Beaufort West, South Africa

• Died: September 2, 2001, Paphos, Cyprus

• Cause of Death: Asthma attack

• Spouse: Karin Setzkorn(m. 1988-2000), Barbara Zoellner(m. 1970-1982), Aletta Gertruida Louw(m. 1948-1969)

• Education: University of Minnesota, University of Cape Town, M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center

Patient Dies Weeks After Kidney Transplant From Genetically Modified Pig

Richard Slayman received the historic procedure in March. The hospital said it had “no indication” his death was related to the transplant.

By Virginia Hughes

May 12, 2024, 10:21 a.m. ET

Richard “Rick” Slayman, who made history at age 62 as the first person to receive a kidney from a genetically modified pig, has died about two months after the procedure.

Massachusetts General Hospital, where Mr. Slayman had the operation, said in a statement on Saturday that its transplant team was “deeply saddened” at his death. The hospital said it had “no indication that it was the result of his recent transplant.”

Mr. Slayman, who was Black, had end-stage kidney disease, a condition that affects more than 800,000 people in the United States, according to the federal government, with disproportionately higher rates among Black people.

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There are far too few kidneys available for donation. Nearly 90,000 people are on the national waiting list for a kidney.

 

Mr. Slayman, a supervisor for the state transportation department from Weymouth, Mass., had received a human kidney in 2018. When it began to fail in 2023 and he developed congestive heart failure, his doctors suggested he try one from a modified pig.

 

“I saw it not only as a way to help me, but a way to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” he said in a hospital news release in March.

Patient With Transplanted Pig Kidney Leaves Hospital for Home

April 3, 2024

Surgeons Transplant Pig Kidney Into a Patient, a Medical Milestone

March 21, 2024

His surgery, which lasted four hours, was a medical milestone. For decades, proponents of so-called xenotransplantation have proposed replacing ailing human organs with those from animals. The main problem with the approach is the human immune system, which rejects animal tissue as foreign, often leading to serious complications.

 

Recent advances in genetic engineering have allowed researchers to tweak the genes of the animal organs to make them more compatible with their recipients.

The pig kidney that was transplanted into Mr. Slayman was engineered by eGenesis, a biotech company based in Cambridge, Mass. Scientists there removed three genes and added seven others to improve compatibility. The company also inactivated retroviruses that pigs carry and could be harmful to humans.

“Mr. Slayman was a true pioneer,” eGenesis said in a statement on social media on Saturday. “His courage has helped to forge a path forward for current and future patients suffering from kidney failure.”

Mr. Slayman was discharged from the hospital two weeks after his surgery, with “one of the cleanest bills of health I’ve had in a long time,” he said at the time.

In a statement published by the hospital, Mr. Slayman’s family said he was kind, quick-witted and “fiercely dedicated to his family, friends and co-workers.” They said they had taken great comfort in knowing that his case had inspired so many people.

“Millions of people worldwide have come to know Rick’s story,” they said in the statement. “We felt — and still feel — comforted by the optimism he provided patients desperately waiting for a transplant.”

To View the Original Article CLICK HERE

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Greg_L-W.

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