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Original poster

Pig heart transplant. would you take one?

97 replies

reesewithoutaspoon · 12/01/2022 00:42

So in the news, American doctors have transplanted a genetically modified pigs heart into a man who is alive 3 days later.
Should we be messing with cross species transplantation? what about the potential for pig viruses to mutate into something that becomes transmissible human to human. Not sure if that's even a possibility, but you would have to be heavily immune supressed surely to tolerate a non human organ.
Sometimes I think just because we can doesn't mean we should. but I'm not in this guys situation and don't know what I would choose if I was.
Something about it just gives me the heebie jeebies,

OP posts:

gabsdot45 · 12/01/2022 08:35

Yes I would. My DD has a congenital heart condition and last time she had surgery they replaced a valve with a donor valve from a dead human donor but next time it might be a porcine one.
She'd die without it so ..........

AllKindsOfWrong · 12/01/2022 10:58

If it saved my life, yes.

MrsSkylerWhite · 12/01/2022 11:01

Personally, the idea sits very uncomfortably with me and I would find the prospect really disturbing.

I have a healthy heart and am unlikely to ever need one though, so that’s very easy for me to say. I may well feel differently faced with life or death.

Interested in this thread?

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General health

seekinglondonlife · 12/01/2022 11:14

Honestly, my heart wouldn't be 100% in it (pardon the pun) but I'm sure if I was in that situation I'd take it. I didn't realize that the recipient was only expected to get 6-9 months out of it, I don't think that would be worth any transplant for me.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 12/01/2022 13:02

6-9 months of more normal life, not hooked up to a machine, and during that time a human heart might become available for transplant. I'd take those odds.

Frymetothemoon · 12/01/2022 13:04

I suspect most people would if the choice was between that and death

Toddlerteaplease · 12/01/2022 13:17

Yes. If the other option is certain death. Which it will be.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 12/01/2022 13:22

The man who had the operation was only 57, I see. He had a terminal diagnosis of major heart disease, bedbound in recent weeks. He was not considered suitable for a human heart transplant because he was so ill, so this was his only chance, and it may restore him to sufficiently good health to be considered for a human heart transplant. In those circumstances, I'd expect most people would have agreed to be a guinea pig. I would.

Reallybadidea · 12/01/2022 13:23

It's interesting that most people see the ethical dilemma as whether it's OK to use a pig's heart or not. Personally, I don't see that as being an issue given that we use pigs for heart valves, as a source of heparin and for meat.

I think that essentially experimenting on humans like this is a bigger issue. This man probably had little alternative to this, other than death, which is likely why it was authorised. He's still on ECMO though, which isn't a great sign really. The history of surgery is filled with the stories of people like this, who essentially allow themselves to be experimented on so that treatments can be refined and eventually (hopefully) used successfully and routinely. Pioneering surgeons are often seen as heroes, I tend to think the first patients to undergo something like this are the real heroes.

sillysmiles · 12/01/2022 13:24

I think there are two separate questions - 1) should we as society go down this road - with the potential for new cross species virus and potentially another pandemic? and 2) would I personally take it.

If I was at the stage where it was a pig heart transplant or death - yes I would take it.
As a society - should we? I'm not sure, but in saying no you are imposing certain death on those unable to get a human transplant for a potential unknown risk. That's the balance.
You have to say Jimmy will die but that's better than a potential unknown outbreak of an unknown virus that may or may not ever happen.

So in short I think yes, it's a good solution to a current problem, but could lead to future unseen issues.

I'd be interested to know what is the genetic mutation in the pigs and if they have some human dna in them?

TheUndoingProject · 12/01/2022 13:31

I mean I rather suspect medical professional have done some thinking about these issues. To be honest, much like antivaxxers, I think most people would be open to almost any option if their life was on the line.

JaninaDuszejko · 12/01/2022 14:00

Pig Heart Boy is a book by the wonderful Malorie Blackman. Presumably the TV series was based on that.

I'd be interested to know what is the genetic mutation in the pigs and if they have some human dna in them?

No, they remove pig genes that trigger the human immune system to stop the patient rejecting the organ.

I'd absolutely want to be experimented on if I was in the position of the patient, but I'm a scientist. The pursuit of knowledge is everything!

Flipflopblowout · 12/01/2022 14:21

I believe that it is essential for mankind to continue pushing this kind of science.

I have got a friend who is waiting for organ donation. I was amazed when he informed me that even though a person has agreed to donate organs the family can step in after death and stop it.

m1shap3 · 12/01/2022 14:23

@Birkenshock

I've watched many episodes of Greys Anatomy where this has been done successfully, so I'd class myself as a pretty authoritative source on the matter, and I'd say yes it definitely works and it's a great idea.

This 🙌🏼

amusedbush · 12/01/2022 14:38

Yes, if I had no other option and I was going to die, I would take a pig heart.

sillysmiles · 12/01/2022 16:30

No, they remove pig genes that trigger the human immune system to stop the patient rejecting the organ.
That's interesting, I was wondering if it was along the lines of humanised monoclonal antibody production - but wasn't going down a googling rabbit hole!

PizzaDays · 12/01/2022 16:39

Heart - yes.

Killing a pig so I can live - no.

For my children - yes.

I eat fish. But haven’t eaten mean for a year or so now.

PizzaDays · 12/01/2022 16:40

The thread is longer than I thought it was, so will go back and rtft.

Wonder if they could grow hearts in a lab. They've done other organs, I think. Stem cells and all that. That would be ideal.

sillysmiles · 12/01/2022 17:08

Heart - yes.

Killing a pig so I can live - no.

I'm curious as to how you square that circle?

PizzaDays · 12/01/2022 17:58

@sillysmiles

Heart - yes.

Killing a pig so I can live - no.

I'm curious as to how you square that circle?

I mean I’d have no squeamishness accepting a pig's heart, but I’d feel guilty doing it so that I could live 😬

Would a pig that has given a heart go for meat or would it not be allowed to enter the food chain?

sillysmiles · 13/01/2022 11:02

Would a pig that has given a heart go for meat or would it not be allowed to enter the food chain?

Honestly, I don't know.
But I guess not because I assume that the operation to remove the heart would be done under anaesthesia - similar to that of a human donor - and then the meat would not be acceptable into the human food chain because of the drugs in the system.
Potentially the pig sans heart could be used for surgical training - as labs growing these specialised animals would need to be attached to teaching hospitals I would think?

HappydaysArehere · 13/01/2022 11:08

Life or death. I would take the chance on a pig’s heart. However, I would never eat pork again.

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