Lawrence Faucette, the second person in the world to receive a pig heart transplant sadly passed away almost six weeks after the groundbreaking surgery.
Lawrence Faucette, a 58-year-old who was battling terminal heart disease, underwent this pioneering heart transplant from a genetically modified pig on September 20. Tragically, he lost his life on October 30.
The surgeon who performed the procedure, Dr. Bartley Griffith at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, paid tribute to Faucette. He recognized him as an extraordinary patient, a committed scientist, a former Navy veteran, and a loving family man. Faucette had hoped for more time with his wife, sons, and treasured family.
The surgeon, Dr. Bartley Griffith, who performed the heart transplant at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, paid tribute to Faucette. He recognized Faucette as an extraordinary patient, a dedicated scientist, a former Navy veteran, and a loving family man. Faucette had hoped for more time with his wife, sons, and cherished family.
Before he retired, Faucette, who was a loving father to two children, worked as a lab technician at the National Institutes of Health. After the surgery, he was going through physical therapy to regain his mobility. He knew that his time was limited. His wife, Ann Faucette, confirmed his selflessness and his determination to contribute to the advancement of medical science.
The director of the transplant program, Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin, joined Dr. Griffith and Ann Faucette in offering their condolences. Dr. Mohiuddin promised to conduct a thorough analysis to prevent potential complications in future transplants, drawing from their previous analysis after the first patient’s transplant, David Bennett Sr.
Xenotransplantation, which involves transferring cells, tissues, and organs from animals to humans, represents a cutting-edge field in medicine. Its goal is to address the ongoing shortage of human organs available for transplantation. Both Faucette and the program’s earlier recipient, David Bennett, were not suitable candidates for traditional human organ transplants due to their advanced heart conditions. Their surgeries involved hearts from genetically modified pigs, which were specifically altered to improve compatibility with the human body.
In the United States, the demand for organ transplants is steadily rising, with a new person added to the waiting list about every ten minutes. Among the needed organs, kidneys are in the highest demand, with a staggering 85% of patients awaiting transplants requiring a new kidney. The call for creative and innovative solutions to address this growing list of organ transplant candidates is more urgent than ever.
