Man Who Received Pig Heart Transplant Dies After Two Months

A US man who received the first groundbreaking pig heart died two months later after the experiment. The Maryland hospital that performed the surgery announced his death Wednesday. 

The Maryland resident, David Bennett, died Tuesday at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He was 57, and his health had deteriorated over the past few days.

The surgeon that performed on Bennett released a statement. 

“We are devastated by the loss of Mr. Bennett. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family.” Dr. Bartley Griffith continues, “Mr. Bennett became known by millions of people around the world for his courage and steadfast will to live.” 

Bennett received a pig heart for a terminal disease that made him ineligible to receive a human heart transplant. 

Dailymail reports the reason the pig heart transplant worked. 

“…the Maryland surgeons used a heart from a gene-edited pig: Scientists had modified the animal to remove pig genes that trigger the hyper-fast rejection and add human genes to help the body accept the organ.”

“‘The new heart is still a rock star,’ Dr. Bartley Griffith, who led the transplant team at the University of Maryland Medical Center, told the USA Today days after the surgery. ‘It seems to be reasonably happy in its new host … It has more than exceeded our expectations.'” 

Bennett was in stable condition as he watched the Super Bowl from his hospital bed while working with his physical therapist a month ago. Though his health slowly decreased recently, the doctors haven’t said what exactly led to his death. 

However, Bennett survived significantly longer than expected. Bennett’s son praised the hospital for their efforts in experimenting. 

Bennett Jr. says, “We hope this story can be the beginning of hope and not the end. We pray that those looking for hope will continue to fight for the future, fight for new ideas, fight for answers, fight for life. Fight like Dave.”