First U.S. adult heart transplantIn 1971, the first adult heart transplant in the U.S. was performed at the Stanford Medical Center, Stanford, Calif., by Dr. Norman Shumway. The 54-year-old patient, whose heart had been damaged by virus infection, survived for 15 days after the surgery. Shumway, an American surgeon, continued to pioneer in cardiac transplantation. His surgical team went on to perform many other heart-transplant operations. Later, Shumway also accomplished open-heart surgery for the transplantation of valves. |