Christiaan Barnard.

Christiaan Neethling Barnard (1922-2002) was an accomplished cardiac surgeon and researcher who made significant contributions to the development of the discipline. He performed the first human-to-human heart transplant in 1967 in Cape Town, South Africa. He was trained in cardiac surgery at the University of Minnesota under pioneer surgeons C. Walton Lillehei and Richard L. Varco. Many future distinguished cardiac surgeons, such as Shumway, Cabrol, and many others, were his contemporaries at Minnesota. Barnard was a highly talented individual, very dedicated and committed to continuous excellent work, particularly in the early stages of his career. He made great advances to heart valve surgery, complicated congenital heart defects, orthotopic heart transplantation, heterotopic heart transplantation, xenotransplantation, and cardiac hypothermic storage. Barnard was the center of attention globally for several years after the seminal first heart transplant operation. Our work reviews the life, accomplishments, and personal character of this superb heart surgeon.