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January 11,2022

Andrew Campbell 

The University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) and University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) announced the first successful transplant of a genetically engineered pig's heart into a human patient, a 57-year-old Maryland man, on January 10. Mr. David Bennett, the heart transplant recipient, is said to be recovering well after undergoing life-saving surgery on January 7.

Mr. Bennett was determined to be ineligible for a traditional heart transplant or an artificial heart pump after his medical records were reviewed. As a result, a pig heart was the only option available at the time. The surgery was granted emergency approval by the US Food and Drug Administration on December 31, 2021.

Dr. Christine Lau, chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was present in the operating room during the procedure. The transplant was the culmination of years of research for the medical team that carried it out, and it has the potential to change people's lives all over the world.

Statistics show that 17 people die in the United States every day while waiting for a transplant, with over 100,000 people on the waiting list. People die all the time on the organ transplant waiting list. Patients will never have to wait if genetically modified pig organs can be used. People would be able to obtain an organ whenever they desired. The surgery, according to physician Bartley Griffith, will bring the world one step closer to resolving the global organ scarcity problem.