Today in 1983, the first heart and lung transplant operation to be performed in Britain was successfully carried out: Swedish journalist, Lars Ljungberg, underwent the transplant receiving the organs of a woman from the south of England who had died the day before.  It took a team of 20 doctors and nurses at the specialist heart unit, Harefield Hospital, in north London, more than five hours to carry out the operation.  Mr Ljungberg was said to be recovering well from the operation and was recuperating on an isolation ward in the intensive care unit there.  He was conscious with his wife by his side.  The team of doctors was headed by renowned surgeon Magdi Yacoub.

Mr Ljungberg survived for 13 days after the operation and died with his wife and mother by his side.  The hospital said the heart and lungs he had been given had worked well and had not been rejected but he had died as a result of his condition before the operation.  He had been suffering from pulmonary hypertension which had led his lung tissues to thicken, cutting the oxygen supply to the blood.