Dhaniram Baruah

Dhaniram Baruah
NationalityIndian
EducationMD; Glasgow University; Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of England
Known forFirst pig-to-human heart transplantation
Medical career
ProfessionSurgeon
FieldCardiac Surgery
InstitutionsUniversity of Maryland Medical Center
Sub-specialtiesCardiothoracic surgery
Heart transplantation
Lung transplantation
Cardiac surgery

Dhaniram Baruah is an Indian heart surgeon from Assam, known for his work in the field of xenotransplantation. He is popularly known as India's Pig Heart Doctor.[1] On 1 January 1997, he became the first heart surgeon in the world to transplant a pig's heart in a human body.[2] Although the recipient died subsequently, it was a precursor to the first successful pig-to-human heart transplant performed 25 years later by Bartley P. Griffith in January 2022.[3] While Griffith used a genetically modified pig's heart, Barua had transplanted a normal pig heart.[4] Barua is also the founder of Dr Dhaniram Baruah Heart Institute & Research Centre.[5] He can only communicate through hand gestures after a brain stroke left him unable to speak.[6]

  1. ^ "Dr Barua, India's Own Pig Heart Doctor". The Federal.com. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Pig Heart Transplanted in Human". The Hindu. 15 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Man Gets Genetically Modified Pig Heart". BBC. 15 January 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  4. ^ "25 Years Before US Heart Transplant Assam Doctor Had Tragic Outcome". Deccan Herald. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Dr Dhani Ram Baruah Heart Institute". Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  6. ^ Chakrabarti, Angana (7 August 2022). "175 dogs guard Assam's pig heart doctor who bangs desk to speak. Patients still lining up". ThePrint. Retrieved 20 May 2023.