Surgery in the United States: Implants pig' heart into a human

57-year-old man receives genetically modified heart, medical first that could one day help solve the chronic shortage of organ donations in the United States. A traditional organ transplant was previously ruled out for the patient.?

Though it is too early to tell if the procedure is successful, it represents an important step in the decades-long quest for one day using animal organs for life-saving transplants. Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center say the transplant demonstrated the viability of a genetically modified animal's heart in human bodies.

The University of Maryland Medical Center has been monitoring the condition of David Bennett Sr., of Maryland since he was discharged following the procedure on Monday.

The only option was to die or undergo a transplant. It is my wish to live. According to a statement provided by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Bennett said a day before surgery, "I know it's a gamble, but it's my last resort."

Scientists are searching for ways to transplant animal organs instead of human organs because there is a shortage of human organs. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which oversees the nation's transplant system, over 3,800 heart transplants were performed in the U.S. last year.

Through the use of CRISPR CAS9 gene-editing tools, scientists have been able to alter the genes of pigs to harvest their organs.