Christiaan Barnard: his first transplants and their impact on concepts of death

2001/12/22 by R Hoffenberg · 1 citation
Medicine · #Organ Donation and Transplantation #Organ Transplantation Techniques and Outcomes #Organ and Tissue Transplantation Research

paper · pdf · doi:10.1136/bmj.323.7327.1478

openalex publication_date 2001/12/22 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/07

Abstract

The death of Christiaan Barnard has revived some personal memories. More importantly, it reminds us that his operations at the end of 1967 initiated the production of a set of legal and philosophical justifications for the removal of a beating heart from a prospective donor. Thirty four years later they remain a topic of controversy.

Citations

• Diagnosis of brain death. Statement issued by the honorary secretary of the Conference of Medical Royal Colleges and their Faculties in the United Kingdom on 11 October 1976.

Cited by

• Christiaan Barnard [wikipedia]