U.S. heart implant pioneer dies

Dr. Adrian Kantrowitz, who performed the first human heart transplant in the United States, has died of heart failure in Ann Arbor, Mich., at age 90.

Kantrowitz, who died Friday, also pioneered the development of mechanical devices to extend the life of patients with heart failure, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Kantrowitz performed the first U.S. human heart transplant in 1967, when he transplanted the heart of a brain-dead baby into a baby with a fatal heart defect, the Times said. Although the patient lived for only a few hours, the operation was a milestone in transplant history, the Times said.

During his 60-plus years of practice, Kantrowitz designed and used more than 20 medical devices that aided circulation and other vital functions.

His "left ventricular assist device" in 1972 allowed patients with severe chronic heart failure to leave the hospital with permanent implants. Kantrowitz also invented an early implantable pacemaker.

His ingenuity extended beyond cardiology, the Times reported. In 1961, Kantrowitz was the first doctor to enable paraplegic patients to move their limbs by electronically stimulating their muscles.

Kantrowitz is survived by his wife, Jean, who helped him found a medical device company, three children and nine grandchildren.