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Man Swaps His Heart for a New One, Plus Lungs

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United Press International

A Santa Cruz man gave his heart to a Redwood City man and received a heart and lungs from an anonymous donor in a rare double heart transplant, Stanford University Medical Center officials said.

Both patients were making good progress Friday in their recovery from the April 1 surgeries, doctors said.

Steven Rasmussen, 28, Santa Cruz, gave his heart to John Hasenkamp, 48, Redwood City, and received a heart and lungs from an anonymous donor, Stanford officials said.

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Rasmussen was near death from an incurable lung ailment caused by cystic fibrosis, said Dr. Vaughn Starnes, chief of Stanford’s heart-lung transplant program.

Safety Measure

Although Rasmussen’s heart was in good condition, surgeons decided it would be safer to transplant both a heart and lungs into his body so the lungs would receive an adequate blood supply during and after the surgery.

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