When was the first heart transplant performed?

Study for the WJEC GCSE History of Medicine Test. Engage with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question providing hints and explanations. Prepare for your exam effectively!

Multiple Choice

When was the first heart transplant performed?

Explanation:
The key idea is recognizing the historical breakthrough in heart surgery: the moment a donor heart was shown to function in a recipient, proving the procedure could work in principle. The best-known milestone is in 1967, when Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human heart transplant in Cape Town on December 3. The recipient, Louis Washkansky, lived for 18 days after receiving Denise Darvall’s heart, demonstrating that a donor heart could operate inside a person, even though early outcomes highlighted serious challenges like rejection and infection. There were earlier transplant attempts in the early 1960s that did not result in lasting survival, so 1967 is remembered as the breakthrough date for a successful heart transplant.

The key idea is recognizing the historical breakthrough in heart surgery: the moment a donor heart was shown to function in a recipient, proving the procedure could work in principle. The best-known milestone is in 1967, when Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful human heart transplant in Cape Town on December 3. The recipient, Louis Washkansky, lived for 18 days after receiving Denise Darvall’s heart, demonstrating that a donor heart could operate inside a person, even though early outcomes highlighted serious challenges like rejection and infection. There were earlier transplant attempts in the early 1960s that did not result in lasting survival, so 1967 is remembered as the breakthrough date for a successful heart transplant.

More Multiple Choice Questions
Subscribe

Get the latest from Passetra

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy