Second Successful Pig Heart Transplant Saves Dying Patient

The University of Maryland Medical Center has successfully performed a groundbreaking transplant of a pig heart into a living human recipient for the second time ever. The recipient, Lawrence Faucette, who had end-stage heart disease and was ineligible for a traditional heart transplant, is currently breathing on his own and his heart is functioning well without assistance. The surgery was conducted under the FDA's compassionate use program, using a genetically modified pig heart from Revivcor. Faucette is also receiving experimental antibody treatment to prevent rejection. The first experimental surgery in 2022 resulted in the recipient's death due to heart failure and the presence of unidentified pig virus.