First heart transplant in KL

First heart transplant in KL

KUALA LUMPUR (AP): Malaysia's first heart transplant was
performed successfully on a 51-year-old male, the National Heart
Institute of Malaysia announced yesterday.

The four-hour operation, carried out by a team of 17
specialists, on Thursday culminated two years of preparation
including experimental transplants on 11 sheep, the official news
agency Bernama reported.

Following Thursday's operation, the recipient, who had been on
the country's heart transplant waiting list for seven months
diagnosed with "end stage heart failure," was awake and breathing
on his own.

The patient, whose name was not released, will remain in
intensive care for several days, said Yahya Awang, the chief
surgeon of the Heart Institute.