A Maryland hospital is defending its decision to transplant a pigās heart into a dying man following reports that the patient had a criminal past, saying his eligibility was ābased solely on his medical records.ā
David Bennett, 57, is still recovering from last weekās highly experimental transplant, a medical first and a step in the quest to one day ease shortages of human organs by using animals. While the new heart is functioning, it's too soon to know how Bennett will fare.
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On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that 34 years ago Bennett was charged with a stabbing that left a young man paralyzed. The stateās Division of Corrections told the newspaper that Bennett was released from prison in 1994 after serving six years of a 10-year prison sentence.
In a statement Thursday, the University of Maryland Medical Center said doctors are obligated to provide the best care for every patient regardless of their background.
āThis patient came to us in dire need and a decision was made about his transplant eligibility based solely on his medical records,ā the hospital said. āThis patient made the extraordinary decision to undergo this groundbreaking surgery to not only potentially extend his own life but also for the future benefit of others.ā
Bennettās son, David Bennett Jr., issued a separate statement declining to discuss his fatherās past and saying he hoped to focus on āmy fatherās wish to contribute to the science and potentially to save patient lives in the future.ā
The elder Bennett was deemed ineligible for a human heart transplant because of his condition ā he had heart failure and an irregular heartbeat.