Faucette, Maryland Man With Pig’s Heart Transplant Dead
Faucette, the second man with a pig heart transplant, has been declared dead, marking a landmark milestone in medical research. This groundbreaking attempt to treat a grave medical condition was demonstrated by the experimental surgery performed in Maryland.
The 58-year-old Lawrence Faucette was not a candidate for a conventional human heart transplant since he had heart failure. On September 20, however, he had the ground-breaking surgery in which he was given a genetically altered pig heart.
The pig heart seemed to be doing well throughout the first month after the transplant. But there have been indications of rejection in recent days, which eventually resulted in Faucette’s death on Monday.
His wife, Ann Faucette, disclosed in a statement released by the hospital that her husband deeply understood the end of his life and saw this experimental surgery as his final opportunity to make a difference. Surprisingly, he lived longer than expected.
The University of Maryland School of Medicine had already engaged in similar ground-breaking research. In an earlier attempt, the group successfully transplanted a genetically modified pig heart into David Bennett, a different patient, making history.
Bennett lived for two months, but for unknown reasons, his heart eventually failed. Investigations later revealed evidence of a pig virus inside the organ, which led to the improvement of safety procedures for such operations in the future.
Mr. Faucette’s dying wish was for the medical community to learn from their experiences, according to Dr. Bartley Griffith, the University of Maryland Medical Center’s chief transplant surgeon.
For many years, there were major challenges in trying to do animal-to-human organ transplants, or “xenotransplants,” because the human immune system would usually reject foreign tissue. The use of genetically altered pigs to produce organs that are more compatible with the human body has been the focus of recent research.
Due to further health concerns, Frederick, Maryland-based Lawrence Faucette, a father of two and Navy veteran, was unable to receive a standard human heart transplant.
Despite being informed that his position was severe, he turned to the Maryland hospital in an attempt to spend more time with his family.
Remarkably, as shown by films the hospital posted in mid-October, Faucette was able to stand and participate in physical therapy to restore strength.
Dr. Muhammad Mohiuddin, stated that the medical staff will carefully examine the circumstances surrounding the pig heart, adding to the current investigation into the feasibility of using pig organs for human transplantation.
Over 100,000 people in the United States are waiting for transplant procedures, especially for kidneys. Xenotransplants show promise in solving this urgent lack of human organ donors. Each year, hundreds of people die as a result of this scarcity.
Many research groups have been experimenting with pig kidneys and hearts in monkeys as well as donated human bodies in order to study organ transplantation from pigs to humans.
The goal is to gather enough information and proof to eventually be able to apply for formal xenotransplant research with the Food and Drug Administration.
READ ALSO: JUST IN: North Korea Closes Multiple Embassies Around The World
Send Stories | Social Media | Disclaimer
Send Stories and Articles for publication to [email protected]
We Are Active On Social Media
WhatsApp Channel: JOIN HERE
2024 BECE and WASSCE Channel - JOIN HERE
Facebook: JOIN HERE
Telegram: JOIN HERE
Twitter: FOLLOW US HERE
Instagram: FOLLOW US HERE
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post on Ghana Education News is for general information purposes only. While we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.