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I Worked Alongside Transplant Pioneer

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The article by Dr. Michael Adler in ESRAmagazine no.198 about Prof. Christiaan Barnard and his first human heart transplant way back in 1967 has prompted me to write about my experience with this eminent surgeon from South Africa many years before that time.

After graduating MBChB at the University of Cape Town, I worked in the surgical department of Groot Schuur Hospital under Prof. Jannie Louw.In 1958 Prof. Barnard (then Dr.) arrived from Texas with his "heart lung machine" which enabled him to perform surgery "within the heart" by diverting the circulation of the blood. Prof. Louw offered him a section of his surgical unit to begin performing cardiac surgery.

At that time, I was just 23 years old, engaged to be married to Pat, whom I am happy to say is still at my side after a marriage of just over 60 years!*

At the outset (1958) Prof. Barnard performed only Mitral Valve replacements. At that stage this type of surgery took about 10 hours.

My job began when the patient was brought out of the theater. It consisted of sitting alongside the patient for a period of 48 hours nonstop, taking the pulse and blood pressure readings every five minutes on alternative sides of the body and writing down all the details during those two days.We had no calculators or computerized ECGs in those days.

My grandchildren, who have often heard this story, have always commented "nobody can sit next to a patient continuously for 48 hours" and my reply has always been "but this was my job".

During those critical hours, Prof. Barnard would turn up at all times of the night to check on the condition of his patient. He was a devoted surgeon to his patients and was extremely competent and caring.

Needless to say, with this kind of postoperative pressure on the ward staff, only one Mitral Valve Replacement was done per month.

Prof. Barnard continued for years within the framework of cardiac surgery until his breakthroughin performing the first human to human heart transplant in the world at Groot Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, on a patient named Louis Washkansky, on December 3rd 1967. As a reminder, Louis Washkansky survived for only 18 days.

Groot Schuur Hospital's next ten heart transplanted patients survived for more than one year, two living for 13 and 23 years respectively.

Prof. Barnard died in 2001.

Dr. Morrie Basker

Nordiya

*We have been living in Israel for the past 44 years, and we have in that time been blessed with a very large family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Our greatest asset to date is that ALL of our extended family are living here in Israel. 

 

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Tuesday, 19 March 2024

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