The biggest question at the time of heart transplant is how long will it last? How long can a person survive with the help of another’s heart? Many doctors say that if a person has proper diet, he can live comfortably for 20 years. Some researches also claim up to 30 years. But one person has overturned all these claims. After heart transplant, this person has been alive for 40 years and has not faced any problem. This is the reason why he has been given a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Till date, no person has survived for so long after heart transplant.
According to BBC report, when Bert Johnson, a resident of Netherlands, was 17 years old, he developed flu-like symptoms. When he went to the doctors, it was found that he was suffering from cardiomyopathy. Doctors at Harefield Hospital advised him to undergo heart transplant. It was as if a mountain had fallen on Bert Johnson. At this young age the heart stopped working properly. This would be a matter of concern for anyone. That too was 40 years ago.
At aged 17, Bert Janssen received a life-saving heart transplant at Harefield. Over 39 years later, he has been verified as the world’s longest surviving heart transplant patient.
Read about how Bert’s life was transformed by his transplant https://t.co/GzJ12unQGq #HeartMonth pic.twitter.com/HHvRtKzA8c
—Royal Brompton and Harefield (@RBandH) February 8, 2024
30 hearts were examined
When Johnson agreed, the search for a donor for the transplant began. 30 hearts were examined, but none could match. Later, the heart matched that of a person who died in a car accident in London. On June 6, 1984, doctors performed a heart transplant. And he recovered very quickly. Johnson said, I will always be grateful to that person, because of whom I am alive today.
Johnson was a skilled glider pilot.
You will be surprised to know that Johnson is a skilled glider pilot. With the help of this heart they fly. Guinness World Records recognized him in September 2023 as the longest surviving heart transplant patient. Johnson recently turned 40 and has no problems. He says, the most important thing is that I set a benchmark for others. People should not be afraid of this at all.
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FIRST PUBLISHED: February 8, 2024, 18:04 IST