First implantation of a total artificial heart in a human (temporary)

On April 4, 1969, cardiac surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley implanted a temporary total artificial heart in a patient at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston; the device was intended as a bridge procedure and supported the patient until a donor heart could be found. The surgery is widely cited as the first implantation of a total artificial heart in a human in the United States, and it generated significant discussion within the surgical community at the time. The procedure took place at the hospital that is now part of Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center.