Description

Essentials about the Heart of Cape Town Museum in brief

The Heart of Cape Town Museum is certainly one of the most extraordinary museums in South Africa and worth a visit not only for doctors and people interested in medicine. It is located in the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, where in 1967 the South African doctor Christiaan Barnard performed the world’s first heart transplant on a human being. The museum was established in 2007 to mark the fortieth anniversary of the transplant.

The history of the first heart transplant in the world

The museum is located in the original operating rooms of the hospital where the surgery was performed at the time. In December 1967, Denise Darvall, then 25, and her mother were struck by a car while crossing a street in Cape Town. Darvall’s mother died at the scene of the accident, and Denise Darvall was taken to hospital with severe head injuries. Due to the severity of her injuries, life support was discontinued the same evening as the accident.

The recipient of Denise Darvall’s heart was 54-year-old Louis Washkansky, who suffered from diabetes and severe heart disease. In a five-hour operation, Doctor Barnard and his team transplanted Darvall’s heart. Washkansky remained alive for 18 days after the transplant and was able to speak with his wife and reporters. The second heart transplant, performed by Barnard in early 1968, was already much more successful. The patient, Philip Blaiberg, remained alive for 19 months after the procedure and was even able to leave the hospital after the operation.

The exhibition at the Heart of Cape Town Museum

In a two-hour guided tour, visitors begin their tour at a reenactment of Denise Darvall’s accident. The animal testing laboratory illustrates the experiments Barnard performed on dogs to perfect his surgical technique. In addition, a model of Denise Darvall’s room and Barnard’s office have been recreated in the museum. The highlight of the Heart of Cape Town Museum is the operating rooms where the transplant took place. The tour concludes with Washkansky’s recovery room.

The Heart of Cape Town Museum does not limit itself to a mere presentation of the medical event, but also deals intensively with the moral and ethical implications of a transplant. The medical sensation of the time triggered worldwide enthusiasm, but also a storm of indignation. In a corridor full of letters to Barnard, the whole range of human reactions becomes clear.

Website

heartofcapetown.co.za

Opening hours

The guided tours take place every weekday at 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm and 3 pm and must be booked.

Admission fees

None.

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Train: Stop Observatory

By car:

There is a parking lot on site.