Second-Ever Pig Heart Transplant Recipient Dies 6 Weeks After Surgery: ‘We Will Miss Him Tremendously’
The world’s second pig heart transplant recipient has died six weeks after having the organ implanted, the University of Maryland Medical Center announced Tuesday.
The patient, 58-year-old Lawrence Faucette — a Navy veteran and retired lab technician at the National Institutes of Health — only began showing signs that his body was rejecting the pig heart in the few days before his Oct. 30 passing.
Prior to that, he was progressing well in physical therapy to regain walking capabilities — and even had the energy to play cards with his wife, according to the medical center.
“Nobody knows from this point forward. At least now I have hope and I have a chance,” Faucette said just prior to his September surgery.
In the final weeks of his life, Faucette, of Frederick, Maryland, developed an incredibly special relationship with his surgical team. He was aware that his operation had implications for major medical advances in the future, according to his surgeon, Dr. Bartley P. Griffith. (Read more from “Second-Ever Pig Heart Transplant Recipient Dies 6 Weeks After Surgery: ‘We Will Miss Him Tremendously’” HERE)
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