The first successful human heart transplant was performed on January 28, 1968. After being approached by a young woman who wanted to donate the heart of her deceased fiancé, Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the surgery. The recipient of the donated heart, Louis Washkansky, lived for 21 days follo…

The first successful transplant of a human heart was performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard on January 28, 1968. The heart of 25-year-old Clive Udall was grafted into 54-year-old Louis Washkansky. The transplant was a success for 21 days after the surgery. Clive Udall was involved in a car accident and passed away. The mother of Clive Udall requested that his organs be donated after his death. The surgery lasted 5 hours and 7 minutes, and Barnard used 3 blood transfusions to complete the operation.