Medical Pioneer. He was the first physician to perform a successful heart transplant in the United States. His first transplant patient, in 1968, died of complications after 14 days. In the following years most transplants ended in lethal infections or organ rejection soon after surgery. But he was the only surgeon to persevere as others gave up. With an impressive Stanford University team, he found ways to use smaller doses of toxic antirejection drugs; became an early proponent of a safer alternative, cyclosporine; and then dramatically improved transplant survival rates. Died of lung cancer in Palo Alto, California.
Medical Pioneer. He was the first physician to perform a successful heart transplant in the United States. His first transplant patient, in 1968, died of complications after 14 days. In the following years most transplants ended in lethal infections or organ rejection soon after surgery. But he was the only surgeon to persevere as others gave up. With an impressive Stanford University team, he found ways to use smaller doses of toxic antirejection drugs; became an early proponent of a safer alternative, cyclosporine; and then dramatically improved transplant survival rates. Died of lung cancer in Palo Alto, California.
Bio by: Fred Beisser
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