Two weeks later David Bennett is alive, his pig’s heart beating soundly

Post by andrepew » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 4:35 PM UTC

hamilyon2 wrote: post #427

radu_floricica wrote: post #254

I've said this before here and got downvoted for it, but bioethicists as a profession are responsible for more death than pretty much anything else I can quickly think of. People are dying from heart disease all the time, very often in predictable conditions. Literally millions every year. Statistically this means we should hear about such failed procedures many many more times than we do now - there is literally no…

I respectfully disagree. It is patient's right to refuse any medical procedure. A mere suspicion, impression that doctors are not treating life and health of this particular patient with all sainctity will do a lot more harm than good. I mean, life is precious, doctors should know this best and act like it is. Recklessness even in words will do a lot of harm. A lot of credit will be lost if standards slip even a litt…

Post by bigyellow » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 4:45 PM UTC

TulliusCicero wrote: post #30

giantg2 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"...and a tremendous waste of resources that could be used to fund research that might actually help humans." Hey PETA, source?

PETA hates anything that makes animals useful to humans. It could solve world peace and they’d be arguing that surely there’s a better way.

Post by wonderwonder » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 5:08 PM UTC

dqv wrote: post #454

anonymousiam wrote: post #53

The article says; "Almost 22 years later the first ever xenotransplant has finally taken place." They seem to have forgotten about this baboon-to-human heart transplant from 1984. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_Fae

A podcast called Straight Talk MD talks about several different weird transplants like this in this episode: https://pca.st/episode/1628074d-b415-477b-b1f6-81c9d81fc261 ( For Fame or Money? The Dark Side of Ten Amazing Medical Firsts on Straight Talk MD) Of note is the disastrous synthetic heart in the 90’s. I was surprised that such a thing was attempted.

Post by lakdowjd » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 5:12 PM UTC

baldfat wrote: post #388

jostmey wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the FDA will insert itself to regulate medicine wherever it can. For example, the FDA has been pushing to regulate diagnostic tests as medical devices. It’s funny how Americans surrender medical autonomy to the government but draw a strict line in the sand in other issues

I have a weird muscle disease that is treated with just taking over the counter L-Carnitine. The issue, vitamins and supplements are not regulated. So, I will try to take a new brand and after a few days my symptoms will come back because the pills don't have the L-Carnitine like it says and there is no one to make sure it does. It will cost me four to seven days of pain, and no one is held responsible. My best guess…

Post by zamadatix » Wed, Jan 26, 2022, 5:18 PM UTC

_fat_santa wrote: post #442

threshold wrote: post #305

Is this compassionate use or experimentation on a dying patient for the future benefit of the rest of us? I’m fine with the latter, if consensual. But only if we call it what it is.

From everything I read it was consensual. But that raises a larger moral question. Is it really consent if you're about to die? I think that almost anyone given the choice to either die or get a pig heart will choose the latter, there's a good chance you will die if you get the transplant but there is a 100% chance that you will die if you don't.