David Bennett, 57, who received a pig heart in January in place of his own failing one, died Tuesday.
It’s not yet clear precisely what caused Bennett’s death, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, where he received the transplant Jan. 7 and had been recovering since. He began deteriorating in recent days and the hospital announced his death Wednesday.
Bennett was the first patient ever to receive an animal organ genetically modified to prevent rejection in a person.
There was no obvious cause identified at the time of his death, hospital spokeswoman Deborah Kotz said, and researchers plan to conduct a thorough review of his death and publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal.
“We are devastated by the loss of Mr. Bennett. He proved to be a brave and noble patient who fought all the way to the end. We extend our sincerest condolences to his family,” Dr. Bartley Griffith, surgeon who led Bennett’s transplant said in a statement. “Mr. Bennett became known by millions of people around the world for his courage and steadfast will to live.”
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