Beyond Barnard: Remembering Other Contributors and Competitors on the Golden Jubilee Year of First Human Heart Transplantation

Nazmul Hosain ¹, Farzana Amin ²

¹ Chittagong Medical College, Chittagong, Bangladesh; ² Northern Health, Prince George, BC, Canada;

Date, time and location: 2018.05.26 08:30, Exhibition area, 1st Floor. Zone – D

Abstract

Introduction

50 years ago on a fine December morning the whole World was flabbergasted to know that a successful transplantation of a human heart was performed by a little known surgeon Christiaan Barnard in the then apartheid South Africa. He immediately became famous all over the World and has remained so for half a Century. There were others, who had made significant contributions in his pathway to success. And there were a few others, who were his potential competitors and ready for performing the first transplant. Contrary to Barnard’s wide publicity, very little is known about these contributors and competitors.

Methods

Various papers on the first heart transplantation were analyzed. Thorough internet search was performed regarding various pioneers. The success stories of the transplant pioneers in various countries were compiled.

Results

American surgeon duo Norman Shumway and Richard Lower had performed all the background research work upon which the successful heart transplantation became possible. Both were ready for performing the first transplantation. Another American surgeon Adrian Kantrowitz performed the second transplantation on 6^th December just 3 days later than Barnard. American Thomas Hardy made a failed attempt of xenotransplanting a chimpanzee’s heart 2 years before Barnard. Besides them P K Sen in India, Christian Cabrol in France, E de J Zerbini in Brazil, Pierre Grondin in Canada and a few others performed heart transplantations within a few months of Barnard’s.

Conclusion

Christiaan Barnard became a celebrity for performing the legendary operation. But there were a few others who had acquired the technology and skill to do that. Whereas the World has remembered Barnard well, the other pioneers of those days are virtually forgotten even by the cardiac surgeons of today. On the 50^th anniversary of the legendary operation it’s time to pay respect to these pioneers.