Who carried out the first heart transplant?

• A. Dr John Carter
• B. Dr Christian Barnard
• C. Dr Christiaan Barnard
• D. Dr James Smith

Answer: (B)

The key idea is identifying who pioneered the first successful human-to-human heart transplant. Christiaan Barnard, a surgeon from South Africa, carried out this landmark operation in 1967 at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. He transplanted a donor heart (from Denise Darvall) into Louis Washkansky, and the new heart began beating in the recipient. This achievement proved that a transplanted heart could function in another person and launched the modern era of organ transplantation, though early results showed how difficult the procedure was and highlighted the challenges of rejection and infection. The name is widely spelled Christiaan Barnard, though you may also see the variant Christian in some sources.