A Miami spent 48 days without having a heart and actually received a second heart transplant just recently.
The man called Louis Quarterman, appeared before the public along with his doctor at a news conference last week. He has been in intensive care at Jackson Memorial Hospital since the operation in June, the Miami Herald reported, but according to Dr. Si Pham, Quarterman is now ready for a transfer to rehab.
”I feel great,” Quarterman said, smiling.
Along with a heart transplant, Quarterman also received a transplanted kidney.
Pham removed Quarterman’s heart 48 days before the surgery because the immunosuppressive drugs he needed to take were speeding the failure of his kidneys. Until he received the transplant, machines kept Quarterman’s blood circulating.
“His body went through a lot,” Pham said. “He did remarkably well.”
”I’m going to do some traveling,” said an ecstatic Quarterman. “The first stop is going to be Atlantic City, so I can sit at the tables up there.”
Quarterman had his first heart transplant at age 49 which gave out 12 years later.