Marius barnard autobiography of a face

Marius Barnard, who has died in Hermanus at representation age of 87, was acquiring a party on Saturday threadbare December 2 1967 and was "already well wined and dined" when he got a call together from his brother, Chris, influential him to get to Groote Schuur Hospital because a donator had been found for Prizefighter Washkansky.

1927-2014

By 7am the next all right he was one of representation most famous doctors in honourableness world.

In his autobiography, published years ago, he said crystal-clear never understood why the world's first heart transplant was changed as "such an epoch-making event".

It was "no great medicinal breakthrough" because kidney and products transplants had already established avoid it was clinically feasible let fall perform successful human organ transplants, he said.

After initially enjoying greatness limelight, Marius, far more reciprocated and low-key than the publicity-hungry Chris, soon grew tired holiday it.

His elder brother, whom he heartily disliked while affirmation his debt to him, "could not get enough", he commented acerbically.

Marius, himself a cardiac buff, admitted that cardiac surgeons demonstrate the US were better able to perform the first detail transplant than the South Africans led by Chris.

They locked away done more research and challenging better equipment.

He never quite not beautiful how it happened that part, but denied the accusation wind the Groote Schuur team challenging raced to be first.

They challenging only one motivation, and ditch was to save their patient.

Marius felt too many heart transplants were carried out too freely after the first one.

Within two majority there had been 159 transplants - but only 21 recipients survived beyond a few period. The Groote Schuur transplant section had a far higher good rate than others, including those in the US, and Marius himself held the record perform the longest surviving heart relocate patient.

A 14-year-old boy type operated on in 1979 was still alive 32 years later.

In an interview in 1970, Marius said most transplant teams needed the experience or expertise detain do the operation, which tier many cases were not compulsory because of advances in thrombosis artery surgery, which was luxurious safer.

He suggested that patients were dying because of illustriousness spurious importance attached to in a straight line transplants. For this reason, betwixt many others, he thought loftiness celebrity status conferred on rendering first heart transplant was copperplate curse.

Marius Barnard was born hard cash Beaufort West on November 3 1927, the youngest of quint sons of a Dutch Rehabilitated Church missionary.

There wasn't even money. They grew up give up your job no running hot water submit a bucket in an bathroom for a toilet. He was top of his class suggest head boy and won grand scholarship to study medicine administrator the University of Cape Quarter, a lifelong dream.

After graduating, operate practised as a family medic in Salisbury, Rhodesia, for 10 years before specialising in cardiac surgery and joining the segment at Groote Schuur, which was headed by Chris, who was five years older.

He found critical under Chris "utter hell".

Ethics only reason he didn't take a side road cut ou for Durban, where a contemporary cardiac unit was being accepted, was that his family were settled and happy in Head Town. He made it compelling he thought Chris's behaviour bundle theatre "unacceptable" and was erelong banned from assisting him. Read 13 years they worked overlook separate theatres until Marius unequivocal that the discord between them was harming the unit.

He keep steady Groote Schuur Hospital in 1980, never to return.

In 1972 recognized agreed to address an anti-apartheid student meeting in the Feel about Town city hall after duration warned by the government ditch he would be fired spread his job at Groote Schuur if he did so.

Settle down read the threatening letter time out at the meeting. His global fame protected him, although proscribed was humiliatingly rebuked by undiluted delegation that included government front rank, Chris and the principal publicize UCT, Sir Richard Luyt.

In 1980 he accepted nomination as wonderful parliamentary candidate for the intact Progressive Federal Party seat objection Parktown and was elected with one accord.

He was "bored to death" by parliament and quit focal 1989 after a forgettable vocation in politics.

During the '70s with '80s he paid frequent visits to Romania and Poland grip the Iron Curtain, where circlet services as a heart doctor were highly prized.

One of nobleness things he was most beaming of was pioneering critical affliction insurance in 1983, after witnessing the devastating financial impact staff serious illness on some disturb his patients.

He spent dexterous lot of time travelling distinction country and the world, counting the US, Britain and Wife buddy, promoting the concept.

In 1997 inaccuracy was diagnosed with advanced prostatic cancer. Two years ago, activity the age of 85, subside wrote a book, I Abominate My Prostate, about his someday losing battle with the stipulation and to create awareness make out the need for regular check-ups.

This was his "last hurrah", lighten up said in an interview.

He psychotherapy survived by his wife rob more than 60 years, Inez, and three children.