First Successful Pig Heart Transplanted to Human

David Bennett, an American man in his 50s, is the first man to receive a heart transplant from a genetically-modified pig. The surgery was completed at the University of Maryland Medical Center and lasted seven hours. Bennett’s heart disease was terminal, and he was not eligible for a human heart transplant because of his poor health. The genetically modified pig’s organ was his only chance at survival, which is why medical regulators allowed it. Each day, 17 Americans die waiting for a transplant. Pig’s organs have the potential to save thousands of lives.