At the time, Denton Cooley was at the height of his not inconsiderable fame as well. Founder and surgeon-in-chief of the Texas Heart Institute, he was likewise a world-famous celebrity, primarily for having performed the world’s first human implantation of a total artificial heart. Notably, Denton Cooley was the first American surgeon to perform a successful human-to-human heart transplant. 

Kathy and I were in our twenties. We had never before experienced so much star power, such luminescence, so close up. When Chris stood up to talk, the lights were dimmed. Making the other 20-odd persons in that private room at Brennan’s Restaurant even more invisible than his presence had already rendered them. 

Both natural born showmen with supersized egos, the two surgeons sucked every bit of oxygen out of the room and then promptly gave it right back. 

For the better part of an hour, they regaled us on what I now realize were oft-told and well-rehearsed tales. At the time, the stories were as new to us as freshly baked bread. I was not the only awestruck person in the room. 

Strut they did, exchanging subtle barbs, extravagant compliments and using nods and winks at the expense of one or two other renowned heart surgeons not present. A night to remember well beyond the last toast, the last smile, the last sweet bite of crème brûlée. 

The Heart of Cape Town Museum

Last week, visiting the Cape Heart Museum at Groote Schuur Hospital, all those memories came rushing back. There was Christiaan Barnard, all but brought back to life in a startlingly realistic life sized diorama, forever frozen in a green surgical overcoat with scalpel in hand, his team surrounding him.  

The clock on the wall in Operating Room A was permanently stopped at 2 minutes before 6 am on the morning of December 3 1963. At that very moment the heart of the deceased donor Denise Darvall started beating in the chest cavity of recipient Louis Washkansky. 

Roughly five hours had elapsed since the surgery had started with Chris Barnard’s brother Dr Marius Barnard first prepping and then harvesting the heart of Ms Darvall. She had been brain dead for several hours by then, her young life snuffed out (together with that of her mother) by a drunk driver.   

Our tour guide at The Heart of Cape Town Museum made all of this come alive, and then some. She had in-depth knowledge about every facet of the surgery itself and the team, knew every detail surrounding the events leading up to it and about what happened afterwards. 

Perhaps more importantly, she shared her knowledge in a spirited, fun way with humor and a sprinkling of questions to keep her audience engaged. 

I was surprised that a big city hospital like Groote Schuur would devote as much space as it does to a museum like this. The two original operating rooms have been set up to look exactly as they did at the time. Entering Operating Room B early on in the tour, feels like stepping back right into the actual event.  

Even without sound or motion, the presence of the entire team of 30 doctors, surgeons, anaesthetists and specialized nurses – all in the form of lifelike models –  adds a hyper-realistic feel.

At the conclusion of the tour, which lasted a little more than an hour, we were shown into a small theater. There, in video excerpts in vintage black and white and later in  color – occasionally seen smoking – was the man himself. Christiaan Barnard holding forth on the journey which took him from humble beginnings in a Karoo town to everlasting fame. 

With excerpts from other interviews blended with stills, newsreel footage and a voice-over, the documentary provides more information about the donor Denise Darvall and recipient Louis Washkansky. It touches on the initial ethical controversy surrounding heart transplants and highlights the media storm immediately following on the event.  

Practical hints 

• The Heart of Cape Town tours are operated at 9 am, 11 am and 1 pm on weekdays. Parties of 6 or more can book private tours on weekends.  
• Booking ahead is essential. Book online which enables you to avoid large school groups. 
• If you’re using Uber to make your way to the venue, be sure not to end up at the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital near the city center. The tour is operated from the old main building of Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory. 
• The tour is not really suitable for children under 10 years or so, as some of the medical history is quite intense. Young children may also find the duration of 1.5 to 2 hours to be overly long.  
• For payment on site, cash, Mastercard and Visa are accepted.  

Contact Bert at bert@fisheaglesafaris.com about this activity and the many other worthwhile things to do and see in Cape Town. If you’d prefer to get a call back, please leave a message with our answering service at 1-800-513-5222 or 713-467-5222. Someone will call you back promptly.