Philip Blaiberg

The patient who seemed to get along best with his transplanted heart was former Dentist Philip Blaiberg in Cape Town, Dr. Barnard's second recipient. Eleven days after the operation, Blaiberg, 58, was sitting on the edge of his bed and swinging his legs like a schoolboy. This was not mere bravado, but was designed to help his circulation. He drank a "shandy" (beer and lemonade) and sang a Brahms lullaby.

Then Blaiberg hit some snags. When he developed a sore throat, his doctors were relieved to find no evidence of bacterial infection. They decided that a virus was to blame and prescribed a simple gargle. Next, too much fluid accumulated in the sac around Blaiberg's new heart, as may happen after cardiac surgery of any type. This necessitated puncturing the sac to drain it. After that, Blaiberg said he felt much better, and the doctors felt confident enough to reduce his already moderate doses of immunosuppressive drugs.

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