Christiaan Neethling Barnard said of the first human to human heart transplant procedure he performed on December 3, 1967:

"It really amazed me that there was so much controversy, so much criticism, so much praise, so much excitement about the operation. It was not that great an event - certainly not in the history of medicine"

Watch our video montage (compiled by Dr Paul Human) showcasing the Heart of Cape Town museum to gain insight into this groundbreaking, albeit controversial, event.

Watch a thought provoking dramatisation produced by Showreel Africa / SAMDB (www.samdb.co.za.)