When was the first human heart transplant performed?

When was the first human heart transplant performed?

• A. 1965
• B. 1945
• C. 1967
• D. 1950

Answer: (C)

The year of the first human heart transplant marks a historic breakthrough in surgical medicine. The first human heart transplant was performed in 1967, when Christiaan Barnard carried out the operation at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. The recipient, Louis Washkansky, received Denise Darvall’s donor heart, and the procedure showed that a heart could function in a new body. Washkansky lived about 18 days after the transplant, dying from pneumonia likely related to the overall condition rather than the transplant itself. This milestone spurred rapid advances in immunosuppression and post-operative care that led to later, longer-lasting transplants. The other years listed did not host this landmark operation.

The year of the first human heart transplant marks a historic breakthrough in surgical medicine. The first human heart transplant was performed in 1967, when Christiaan Barnard carried out the operation at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. The recipient, Louis Washkansky, received Denise Darvall’s donor heart, and the procedure showed that a heart could function in a new body. Washkansky lived about 18 days after the transplant, dying from pneumonia likely related to the overall condition rather than the transplant itself. This milestone spurred rapid advances in immunosuppression and post-operative care that led to later, longer-lasting transplants. The other years listed did not host this landmark operation.