Scientific breakthroughs to athletic triumphs: a history of record-breaking transplants

The world’s first documented medical transplant happened way earlier than you probably think it did.

The things surgeons can do today are pretty miraculous, and you could be forgiven for thinking these were quite modern advances in science.

But the reality is far from it.

The exact date isn’t known, but what we do know is that is happened sometime between 60 BCE and 100 CE.

That’s between 1,925 and 2,085 years ago.

The earliest written account of a transplant is in the Sanskrit Sushruta Samhita and the procedure was performed by an ancient physician known as Sushruta, who is now widely heralded as the "Father of Surgery" in India.

The Sanskrit details a graft of skin being transplanted from a person’s forehead to their nose.

It’s worth noting though that the text covered operations that were considered traditional at the time, so it’s possible that this wasn’t actually the first time a procedure like this had been carried out.

This and many more fascinating tales of organ donations and transplants are chronicled within the pages of Guinness World Records 2026, including…

First hand transplant

Clint Hallam (New Zealand) lost his right hand in a chainsaw accident in 1984.

In 1998, an international team of eight surgeons - led by Professor Jean-Michel Dubernard (France) - stitched the hand of a man who had died in a motorcycle accident to Clint’s wrist in a 14-hour operation.

The bones were fixed using a metal plate with screws. Surgeons then stitched the two main arteries, the radial and cubital, and up to 12 veins before connecting the nerves, muscles and tendons.

But after two years with his new hand, Clint decided he didn’t like it, saying it was too pink and the wrong size.

It was amputated at his request on 3 February 2001.

That means Clint also holds the record for most hand amputations (same arm).

His hand had originally been reattached by surgeons following his accident but had to be removed again in 1988 due to an infection, meaning in total, he lost his right hand three times.

First partial-face transplant

Professor Dubernard later went on to perform the world’s first partial-face transplant.

Image: Paris Match via Getty Images

He performed the operation on Isabelle Dinoire (France) at Amiens University Hospital, Amiens, France, on 27 November 2005.

The patient had been left with a severe facial disfigurement after her pet dog ripped off her nose, lips and chin trying to wake her after she accidentally overdosed on pills in May 2005.

Image: ABACA/Shutterstock

Surgeons worked through the night to remove skin, fat and some blood vessels from a brain dead donor then placed them over Ms Dinoire's skull and muscle before re-connecting the blood vessels.

Love human body records? Read more stories about inspirational people like this on our dedicated news page.

First animal-human blood transfusion

The first ever recorded successful transfusion of blood from an animal to a human was performed on 15 June 1667 by Paris-based French surgeon Jean-Baptiste Denis, the personal physician to King Louis XIV.

He and his assistant connected a tube from a lamb’s artery into a vein of a 15-year-old boy who had been sick with a heavy fever for two months.

He was given approximately 12 ounces (340 g) of blood and put to bed to rest. When he awoke he was said to have felt “cheerful enough” and gone on to make a full recovery.

Longest-surviving heart transplant patient

It’s been more than 40 years since Dr Bernd Ullrich (Germany) underwent a heart transplant operation on 18 May 1983.

He’s survived longer than any other heart transplant patient and his story has been published in the Clinical Research in Cardiology medical journal.

First whole-eye transplant

Aaron James (USA) received the first successful human eye transplant in New York, New York, USA, in May 2023.

Image: Associated Press / Alamy Stock Photo

He underwent 21 hours of surgery at NYU Langone Health following a high-voltage electrical accident. While he has not regained vision through the transplanted eye, doctors have observed direct blood flow to the retina.

First sporting event for transplant recipients

The World Transplant Games was the first ever sporting event open exclusively to competitors who have received an organ transplant.

Basically, it’s their very own Olympics.

The first ever one was held at Castle Field in Southsea, Hampshire, UK, on 20 August 1978, with 99 entrants - all kidney transplantees - from five different countries.

The Games were the idea of transplant surgeon Dr Maurice Slapak (UK), who was president of the organization from 1978 to 2004.

Image:  Daniel Perez/EPA/Shutterstock

Kim Renyard, CEO of the World Transplant Games Federation, told us: “The World Transplant Games are about much more than medals and competition. They exist to showcase the success of organ transplantation and to inspire others to say ‘yes’ to donation.

“Every athlete who takes part becomes an ambassador for organ donation, carrying the message that a transplant is not just about survival, but about the chance to live fully again.

“At the same time, the Games are there for the athletes themselves — they encourage recipients to stay active, to train, and to push themselves forward. For many, this is about proving what’s possible after their surgery and rediscovering their strength and independence.

“Medical research has repeatedly shown the benefits of exercise after transplantation — in fact, exercise is often described as a form of medicine. By celebrating these achievements, the Games send out a message of hope, not only to donors and their families, but also to those still waiting for a transplant, showing them what the future could hold.”

There are now some 60 member countries that participate in the Games, which like the Olympics are divided into Summer and Winter editions, running biannually.

The largest field of athletes at a World Transplant Games to date was at Málaga 2017 in Spain, where 1,365 competitors took part. It is also the largest Games so far overall, with a total registration of 2,199.

The most countries represented at a World Transplant Games, meanwhile, was at Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2011, where 56 different nations took part.

Recognizing the success of the athletes is “absolutely vital”, Kim says.

She added: “It humanizes transplantation — showing not only the medical success, but the personal triumph, ‘I was given a second chance, and here’s what I can do now.’ Their stories demonstrate resilience, ambition, and the power of saying yes to donation.

“By shining a light on these athletes, we also honour the donor families, living donors, and medical teams who make every transplant possible.

“Most importantly, when we celebrate these athletes, we make them ambassadors for organ donation. Their voices and experiences carry weight far beyond the Games, helping to break down stigma, raise awareness, and encourage more people to register as donors. In doing so, recognition is not just a personal reward — it becomes a tool for advocacy, inspiring hope and saving future lives.”

Each World Transplant Games begins with a Parade of Nations, which includes an emotional moment when living donors and donor families walk in together.

Kim says it’s the diversity of sports that make the Games unique.

They have everything from high-impact events like cycling and triathlon to sports like tenpin bowling and pétanque. There’s truly something for everybody.

The Games also span generations with people of all ages taking part.

“The children are always a standout,” Kim said, “watching proud parents shed tears of joy as their child sprints across the finish line, remembering that not long ago that child was desperately ill, facing death, and is now alive, thriving, and representing their country.”

Kim also spoke passionately about the messages the Games send.

She said they offer hope and possibility that transplants offer so much more than just survival, gratitude and remembrance for donors and their families, awareness and advocacy, community and solidarity, and resilience and human spirit.

When asked what she wishes people knew about the event, Kim told us: “That it’s not just for ‘elite’ athletes - there are sports for many levels, and inclusion is central to the design.

“That the social, emotional, and communal aspects (stories, interaction, support) are as important as the competition.

“That each athlete has a story - the life before transplant, the waiting, the challenges after - which often gets overlooked when people just see the ‘success’.”

She also spoke about the immense logistical commitment behind the scenes that goes into putting the Games together, and said she hopes people realize that the need for donation is ongoing.

Read more record-breaking donor and transplant stories in Guinness World Records 2026 – on sale now.