Which statement best describes Barnard's first heart transplant patient's outcome?

Which statement best describes Barnard's first heart transplant patient's outcome?

• A. Lived 18 days
• B. Lived 18 weeks
• C. Lived 18 months
• D. Died immediately

Answer: (A)

The key point is that the first human heart transplant produced a functioning new heart, but survival after the operation was short due to infection. Christiaan Barnard’s patient, Louis Washkansky, did survive the immediate surgery and the initial days, but he died 18 days later from pneumonia. The pneumonia was linked to the immune-suppressing drugs used to prevent rejection, not to the surgery itself failing. So, the best description of the outcome is that he lived 18 days after the transplant. This event shows both the breakthrough of a working heart transplant and the significant risks of infection and immunosuppression at that time.

The key point is that the first human heart transplant produced a functioning new heart, but survival after the operation was short due to infection. Christiaan Barnard’s patient, Louis Washkansky, did survive the immediate surgery and the initial days, but he died 18 days later from pneumonia. The pneumonia was linked to the immune-suppressing drugs used to prevent rejection, not to the surgery itself failing. So, the best description of the outcome is that he lived 18 days after the transplant. This event shows both the breakthrough of a working heart transplant and the significant risks of infection and immunosuppression at that time.