Christiaan Barnard Autographs
Christiaan Neethling Barnard (8 November 1922 – 2 September 2001) was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant operation. On 3 December 1967, Barnard transplanted the heart of accident victim Denise Darvall into the chest of 54-year-old Louis Washkansky, who regained full consciousness and was able to talk easily with his wife, before dying 18 days later of pneumonia, largely brought on by the anti-rejection drugs that suppressed his immune system. Barnard had told Mr. and Mrs. Washkansky that the operation had an 80% chance of success, an assessment which has been criticised as misleading. Barnard's second transplant patient, Philip Blaiberg, whose operation was performed at the beginning of 1968, returned home from the hospital and lived for a year and a half.
Born in Beaufort West, Cape Province, Barnard studied medicine and practised for several years in his native South Africa. As a young doctor experimenting on dogs, Barnard developed a remedy for the infant defect of intestinal atresia. His technique saved the lives of ten babies in Cape Town and was adopted by surgeons in Britain and the United States. In 1955, he travelled to the United States and was initially assigned further gastrointestinal work by Owen Harding Wangensteen at the University of Minnesota. He was introduced to the heart-lung machine, and Barnard was allowed to transfer to the service run by open heart surgery pioneer Walt Lillehei. Upon returning to South Africa in 1958, Barnard was appointed head of the Department of Experimental Surgery at the Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town.
He retired as head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery in Cape Town in 1983 after rheumatoid arthritis in his hands ended his surgical career. He became interested in anti-aging research, and in 1986 his reputation suffered when he promoted Glycel, an expensive "anti-aging" skin cream, whose approval was withdrawn by the United States Food and Drug Administration soon thereafter. During his remaining years, he established the Christiaan Barnard Foundation, dedicated to helping underprivileged children throughout the world. He died in 2001 at the age of 78 after an asthma attack.
Read more about Christiaan Barnard on Wikipedia
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Traded items with a signature of Christiaan Barnard
The most expensive item with a signature of Christiaan Barnard (CHRISTIAAN BARNARD - ILLUSTRATION SIGNED) was sold in March 2025 for $357.99 while the cheapest item (Christiaan Barnard Hand Signed Index Card 1st Human Heart Transplant) found a new owner for $1.29 in August 2014. The month with the most items sold (3) was May 2021 with an average selling price of $17.50 for an autographed item of Christiaan Barnard. Sold items reached their highest average selling price in March 2025 with $357.99 and the month that saw the lowest prices with $1.29 was August 2014. In average, an autographed item from Christiaan Barnard is worth $29.00.
Most recently, these items with a signature of Christiaan Barnard were sold on eBay - click here for more items.
| Picture | Item Title | Price | Store |
 | Christiaan Barnard - Autographed Photo - Cardiac Surgeon- 1st Heart Transplant | $79.99 |  |
| Christiaan Barnard - Autographed Photo - Cardiac Surgeon- 1st Heart Transplant | $79.99 | |
 | CHRISTIAAN BARNARD - ILLUSTRATION SIGNED | $357.99 | |
| CHRISTIAAN BARNARD - ILLUSTRATION SIGNED | $357.99 | |
| Christiaan Barnard Autograph SURGEON 1ST HEART TRANSPLANT Signed Photo JSA COA | $109.00 | |
| Christiaan Barnard Autograph SURGEON 1ST HEART TRANSPLANT Signed Photo JSA COA | $109.00 | |
| Christiaan Barnard signed cover JSA Authenticated Performed 1st Heart Transplant | $69.95 | |
| Christiaan Barnard signed cover JSA Authenticated Performed 1st Heart Transplant | $69.95 | |
| CHRISTIAAN BARNARD, C. WALTON LILLIHEI, MICHAEL DEBAKEY - SIGNED 1st DAY COVER | $34.00 | |
| CHRISTIAAN BARNARD, C. WALTON LILLIHEI, MICHAEL DEBAKEY - SIGNED 1st DAY COVER | $34.00 | |
| DR. CHRISTIAAN BARNARD DID 1ST HEART TRANSPLANT SIGNED HEART PRINT SIGNED PHOTO | $199.00 | |
| Michael DeBakey Heart Surgeon Inventor Signed Autograph Photo Christiaan Barnard | $39.99 | |
| Michael DeBakey Heart Surgeon Inventor Signed Autograph Photo Christiaan Barnard | $39.99 | |
 | Michael DeBakey Heart Surgeon Signed Autograph Photo Display Christiaan Barnard | $39.99 | |
| Michael DeBakey Heart Surgeon Signed Autograph Photo Display Christiaan Barnard | $39.99 | |
