Famous People with Arthritis

Christiaan Barnard

South African doctor Christiaan Barnard became famous for performing the first human-to-human heart transplant in 1967. Unfortunately, rheumatoid arthritis ended his surgical career when symptoms made it impossible to keep a steady hand in the operating room. Barnard continued as a professor and wrote Arthritis Handbook: How to Live With Arthritis.

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Review Date: 
November 24, 2013

Citation: 
Last Updated:
July 1, 2014