Every Second Counts: The Race to Transplant the First Human HeartMany remember the proudly beaming face of South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard after he performed the first human heart transplant. But he was not alone in his quest. In truth it was a fourway race, a fierce struggle fraught with passionate rivalry. Three other surgeons were giants in the field, and by early December 1967 all were poised to make medical history. Each had spent years perfecting his techniques; each monitored his chosen patient's condition, watching the clock, hoping a donor would be found in time. From a dank, under-equipped hospital in Cape Town to a cramped lab in San Francisco, the surgeons worked miracles, testing the limits of both science and nature. Some were friends; others were enemies. Only one would be the first. |
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Adrian Kantrowitz Africa Afrikaans afternoon American aorta apartheid artery baby Barnard knew beating began Blaiberg blood body brain Brooklyn Cabrol Cape Town cardiac surgery cardiac transplantation cardiologist chest Chris Barnard Christiaan Barnard Christian Cabrol clamp colored Cooley death DeBakey Deirdre Demikhov Denton Cooley Dick Lower doctor Dong donor felt Goosen Groote Schuur Groote Schuur Hospital Haller Hardy Harken head heart transplant heart-lung machine hospital human heart Hume hypothermia interviews kidney laboratory later Lillehei live looked Louis Washkansky Louwtjie lungs Maimonides Marius Barnard Medical Center Minnesota minutes morning Neches needed night Norman Shumway open-heart operation oxygen Ozinsky patient pulmonary pump race recipient rejection resident Rhoda Richard Richard Lower saline Schrire Scudero seemed Senz Shumway and Lower Shumway's soon South African stared Stinson surgeon surgical suture technique told trans transplanted heart Villiers waited Wangensteen watched weeks York young