Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Christiaan Barnard

A Photo of Christiaan Barnard by Mario De Biasi (Mandondori Publishers) – Wikimedia commons

Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Christiaan Barnard

Christiaan Barnard was born Christiaan Neethling Barnard on November 8, 1922. He was the son of Adam Barnard, a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church, and forme Maria Elisabeth de Swart. He grew up in Beaufort West, Cape Province, Union of South Africa. He was a South African cardiac surgeon.

A cardiac surgeon is a field of medicine involved in the surgical treatment of organs inside the thoracic cavity like the heart, lungs, and other pleural or mediastinal structures. Let’s go through the top 10 astonishing facts about surgeon Christiaan Barnard.

1. He invented the cure of intestinal atresia

A photo of Dr. Christiaan Barnard by Ron Kroon/ Anefo – Wikiedia commons

Intestinal atresia is a birth defect that allows gap-threatening gaps to develop in the intestines. Soon after graduating Barnard started performing experiments on dogs while investigating intestinal atresia.

He had made 43 attempts for nine months and was able to reproduce this condition in a fetus puppy. Barnard tied some of the blood supply to a puppy’s intestines and returned it to the womb. After the puppy was born after two weeks, it had the condition of intestinal atresia.

He was able to cure the disease by removing the defective piece of the intestine with an inadequate blood supply. Jannie Low used this innovation in a clinical setting and it was successful. The method by Barnard saved the lives of ten babies. Surgeons in Britain and the US adapted the method by Barnard.

2. He was the founding member of the World Cultural Council

A photo of Dr. Christiaan Barnard by Erick Koch for Anefo – Wikimedia commons

The World Cultural Council is an international organization whose goals are to promote cultural values, goodwill, and philanthropy among Individuals. The organization was founded in 1981 and is based in Mexico. Barnard became the founding member of the organization.

3. He is among the Earliest surgeons to have performed a Kidney Transplant

A photo of Dr. Christiaan Barnard by Ron Kroon/ Anefo – Wikimedia commons

Did you that the first Kidney transplant was done in the 1950s. The first surgeon to perform a kidney transplant was Dr. Joseph Murray in the 1950s and 1960s. Christian Barnard did his successful Kidney transplant in 1953 in the US. He performed his second Kidney transplant in South Africa in October 1967.

In South Africa, his Kidney transplant was the second the first having been done in Johannesburg the previous year. So, Barnerd was among the earliest surgeons to perform a kidney transplant.

4. Barnard performed the first human-to-human heart transplant

It was early on the Sunday morning of 3rd December 1967 when Bernard performed a human-to-human heart transplant. This was the world’s first heart transplant operation. Louis Washkansky Waskansky was the first man to get a heart transplant. The 54-year-old grocer was suffering from diabetes and incurable heart disease.

Barnard was helped by his brother Marius Barnard and a team of thirty surgeons. The operation took 5 hours. Louis lived for 18 days and this was a successful operation. Louis died of pneumonia and the possibility of his death was said to be the immunosuppressive drugs that he was taking.

5. Barnard became outstanding in heart transplants

Approximately 100 heart transplants were performed worldwide in 1968 after Barnard’s first successful attempt. However, the patients did not live for more than three months. Medical centers stopped performing transplants since the patients did not live long.

Barnard’s second heart transplant was conducted on 2 January 1968. The patient was Philip Blaiberg. Philip lived for 19 months and this was the most outstanding operation compared to other operations by other surgeons whose patients died before three months ended.

Philip’s heart was donated by Clive Haupt, a 24-year black man who suffered a stroke. Dirk van Zyl was the longest recipient of heart who lived longer. The patient lived for over 23 years. Dirk’s heart operation was done in 1971.

6. Barnard was an outspoken opponent of laws of apartheid

A photo of Christiaan Barnard by Unknown (Mandondori Publishers) – Wikimedia commons

Bernard was not afraid to criticize his nation’s government so long as the laws of the apartheid policy could be changed. Barnard to be precise had a short temper and because of his temper, he sometimes traveled abroad so that his remarks to the South African government then would not land him in trouble.

Did you know that in South Africa then a person could be announced stateless? Well, a good example was Zenzile Miriam Makeba, a famous South African singer, songwriter, and activist. She once was stateless even though she was a black woman. Visit our page to learn more about Miriam Makeba.

Barnard used his fame to campaign for a change of law rather than leaving his country. He was capable of leaving the country because he was already a famous surgeon and any country was willing to take him in. He later claimed that he never won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine because he was a White South African.

7. Barnard’s all marriages ended in divorce

Some may be wondering if the great surgeon was able to save lives at great risk but he could not save his marriages. Relax these are two different fields you can’t sustain them. One is always successful and I think medicine was his long-term sworn partner.

Barnard was first married to Aletta Gertruida Louw who was a nurse. The two married in 1948 while practising medicine. They had two children: Deirdre (1950) and Andre (1951). Barnard and Louw divorced in 1969 after International fame took his personal life.

In 1970, Barnard married heiress Barbara Zoellner. Barbara was 19, an agemate of his son Andre when they married. They had two children: Frederick (1972) and Christiaan Jr (1974). Barnard divorced Barbara in 1982.

In 1988 Barnard married for the third time Karin Setzkorn, a young model. The couple was blessed with two children, Armin (1989) and Lara(1997). The couple broke up in 2000. This was his last marriage. If you are a keen leader, Barnard only had two children with each of his wives and divorced her. Also, his last wife is the only one who bore him a girl child, Lara Barnard.

8. Barnard retired in 1983

It was after developing rheumatoid arthritis in his hands that Barnard’s career ended. Well, for a perfect surgeon, all hands must be healthy. Hands are tools for a surgeon. He retired as Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery in Cape Town.

He spent two years as the Scientist-in-Residence at the Oklahoma Transplantation Institute after retiring. He acted as a consultant for various institutions. He also started anti-aging research.

9. Barnard died of a heart attack

Indeed, a doctor can’t heal himself. Barnard died of a heart attack a field he had specialized mostly. However, an autopsy showed that his death was caused by an asthma attack. This was stated by early reports. He died on 2 September 2001.

10. Barnard was a good author of books and autobiographies

A photo of Christiaan Barnard by Jack e Nijis for Anefo – Wikimedia commons

Barnard wrote two autobiographies. His first book was called One life. One life was published in 1969 and copies were sold worldwide. The second Autobiography was The Second life which was published in 1993. He wrote nine known books.

Even though Bernard’s reputation suffered in 1986 when he promoted Glycel, an expensive anti-aging skin cream, he still is the father of heart transplants. This is a fact that cannot be erased in the history of heart transplants. He also established Christiaan Barnard Foundation to help unprivileged children.