Maryland Man Gets Pig’s Heart

Maryland (Tuesday, January 11, 2022) – In what is described as a medical first in the U.S., a Maryland man received a pig’s heart in a last ditch effort to save his life.  The surgery happened yesterday at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The patient is 57-year-old David Bennett from Maryland.  While hospital officials say it is still too soon to know for sure if the surgery works, it marks a step in the decades long effort to one day use animal organs for life-saving transplants.

Doctors say the next few weeks will be critical for Bennett as he recovers.  For now,he’s said to be breathing on his own while still connected to a heart lung machine to help his new heart.