A heart transplant is when a diseased heart is removed and replaced with a healthy human heart from a donor who has died. When the heart can no longer work efficiently and a person’s life is potentially at risk, a heart transplant might be needed.
The first ever heart transplant was carried out in South Africa in 1967 when the heart of a 25-year-old was transplanted into a 53-year-old man.
Last updated: 04 October 2011
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