Peter Houghton (20 August 1938 – 25 November 2007) was the longest surviving artificial

heart transplant A heart transplant, or a cardiac transplant, is a surgical transplant procedure performed on patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when other medical or surgical treatments have failed. , the most common proce ...

patient in the UK. Houghton was implanted with a Jarvik 2000 heart pump at the John Radcliffe Hospital,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, England, by professor

Stephen Westaby Professor Stephen Westaby FRCS (born 27 July 1948) is a British heart surgeon at John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, England. He won the award of Midlander of the Year in 2002. Early life Westaby was raised on a council estate in Scunthorpe, Lincol ...

, on 20 June 2000 owing to severe heart failure. After the operation, the left ventricular assist device worked continuously supporting his heart, breaking the previous world duration record on 11 August 2004 at 1,513 days. The record represents the survival of both the person and the artificial heart. A few individuals have lived longer than 1,512 days but with two artificial hearts, having the first surgically replaced due to failure or wear. Houghton was the first person in the world to be given an artificial heart for permanent use rather than as a bridge to transplantation. An educated

psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

, Houghton has written a book, "The World Within Me," in which he contemplates how receiving the transplant challenges his devout

Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. He also reports that, ironically, the heart transplant has left him largely devoid of emotion. He died on November 25, 2007 at Birmingham's Selly Oak Hospital at the age of 69 years. The cause of death was given as multiple organ failure.Artificial heart man dies aged 68
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Houghton, Peter People from Birmingham, West Midlands 2007 deaths 1938 births Heart transplant recipients Deaths from multiple organ failure