Recipient of first transplanted pig heart into a human dies 2 months after procedure

The patient who received the world’s first transplant of a pig heart into a human body has died two months after the surgery.

The patient, David Bennett, passed away at the University of Maryland Medical Center on Tuesday at age 57. Bennett’s groundbreaking surgery was the first of its kind in the world. The procedure was performed in Maryland on January 7.

The exact cause of death was not identified by the hospital, but it was revealed that Bennett’s condition had begun to deteriorate days before he died. The last resort experimental surgery, Bennett’s family hopes, will help curb organ shortages in the future.

“We are grateful for every innovative moment, every crazy dream, every sleepless night that went into this historic effort,” said his son, David Bennett Jr., in a statement. “We hope this story can be the beginning of hope and not the end.”

Dr. Bartley Griffith, who performed the surgery, said in a statement, “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.”