<P> Christiaan Neethling Barnard ( 8 November 1922 -- 2 September 2001 ) was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world 's first human - to - human heart transplant on 3 December 1967 at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town , South Africa . Growing up in Beaufort West , Cape Province , he studied medicine and practised for several years in his native country . As a young doctor experimenting on dogs , Barnard developed a remedy for the infant defect of intestinal atresia . His technique saved the lives of ten babies in Cape Town and was adopted by surgeons in Britain and the United States . In 1955 , he travelled to the United States and was initially assigned further gastrointestinal work by Owen Wangensteen . He was introduced to the heart - lung machine , and Barnard was allowed to transfer to the service run by open heart surgery pioneer Walt Lillehei . Upon returning to South Africa in 1958 , Barnard was appointed head of the Department of Experimental Surgery at the Groote Schuur Hospital , Cape Town . </P>
<P> Christiaan Neethling Barnard ( 8 November 1922 -- 2 September 2001 ) was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world 's first human - to - human heart transplant on 3 December 1967 at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town , South Africa . Growing up in Beaufort West , Cape Province , he studied medicine and practised for several years in his native country . As a young doctor experimenting on dogs , Barnard developed a remedy for the infant defect of intestinal atresia . His technique saved the lives of ten babies in Cape Town and was adopted by surgeons in Britain and the United States . In 1955 , he travelled to the United States and was initially assigned further gastrointestinal work by Owen Wangensteen . He was introduced to the heart - lung machine , and Barnard was allowed to transfer to the service run by open heart surgery pioneer Walt Lillehei . Upon returning to South Africa in 1958 , Barnard was appointed head of the Department of Experimental Surgery at the Groote Schuur Hospital , Cape Town . </P>
when did the first human heart transplant happen
when did the first human heart transplant happen
3 December 1967
3 December 1967